Updated 15 October 2026
The economy, explained at a glance.
Inflation, interest rates, jobs and growth: the numbers behind the headlines, on one page, with a plain sentence on what each one means for you.
The euro area right now
- Prices are 3.8% higher than a year earlier (Sep 2026). The ECB aims for 2%.
- The ECB pays banks 2.50% on deposits, up from 2.25% before its last change.
- 6.4% of people who want a job are looking for one.
- The economy produced 1.2% more than a year earlier, after inflation (Q2 2026).
- One euro buys $1.12.
Dashboard
Six numbers that move everything
Euro area first, with Portugal alongside. Tap any card for the chart and a plain explanation.
Inflation
How fast everyday prices are rising.
- Portugal 3.6%
Latest: Sep 2026 · Prices compared with a year earlier
Interest rates
The price of money, set by the central bank.
Latest: 16 Sep 2026 · Central bank policy rate
Government bond yields
What governments pay to borrow for ten years.
- Portugal 3.85%
- Germany 3.47%
Latest: 14 Oct 2026 · 10-year government bond yield
Unemployment
How many people who want a job don't have one.
- Portugal 5.7%
Latest: Aug 2026 · Share of the labour force without a job
Economic growth
Is the economy producing more than a year ago?
- Portugal 2.6%
Latest: Q2 2026 · Real GDP, change on the same quarter a year earlier
Euro vs dollar
What one euro buys in dollars.
Latest: 14 Oct 2026 · US dollars for one euro (ECB reference rate)
How it fits together
One chain links your shopping bill to your mortgage and your job
- 01InflationPrices rise faster or slower
- 02Interest ratesThe central bank sets the price of money
- 03Government bond yieldsBorrowing costs follow, for years ahead
- 04Economic growthSpending, investment and growth respond
- 05Unemployment…and with them, jobs
It is a loop, not a straight line: jobs and wages feed back into prices. Real economies are messier than any diagram, which is why nobody can reliably forecast them, and why this site never tries to.
Learn
Start with the basics
What is inflation, and why does 2% matter?
Inflation in plain words: what the number measures, why central banks aim for about 2% a year, and what it does to your salary and savings.
4 min readWhat is a stock market index?
What the S&P 500, the DAX or Lisbon's PSI actually measure, how an index is built, and why the news reports it every day.
5 min readETFs and single shares: what's the difference?
A share is a slice of one company; an ETF is a basket of many, traded like a single share. How they differ on risk, cost and effort.
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