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China Economic Insight
2015
1
Contents Executive Summary
Background 2
Recent Developments 3
Macroeconomic Outlook 6
Macroeconomic Indicators 8
QNB Economics Publications 9
QNB Group International Network 10
A. Recent Developments
 Real GDP growth eased to 7.4% in 2014 (7.7% in 2013) due to a
slowdown in investment spending, lower consumption growth and
weak global demand for Chinese exports
 Inflation slowed to 2.0% in 2014 (2.6% in 2013) as weaker global
commodity prices led to lower food prices and as falling real estate
prices pulled down rent inflation
 The current account surplus rose to 2.1% of GDP (1.9% in 2013) as
lower global commodity prices reduced the import bill, which more
than offset the impact of weak global growth on exports
 Capital outflows increased in Q4 2014, with corporates paying down
external debt as the US dollar (USD) strengthened ahead of
potentially higher US interest rates
 The budget deficit widened to 1.8% of GDP in 2014 (0.9% in 2013)
as the authorities implemented a robust fiscal stimulus to meet
their growth targets
 The central bank loosened monetary policy to stimulate the
economy and alleviate tighter liquidity
 Bank deposit growth eased (9.1% in 2014) as economic growth
slowed, while credit growth rose (16.2%) as shadow-bank loans
were shifted to regulated banks, leading to a rise in non-performing
loans (NPLs) and lower return on equity (17.6% at end-2014)
B. Macroeconomic Outlook (2015-17)
 China will continue to shift towards a consumer-led economy,
implying an investment slowdown; real GDP growth is expected to
reach the government’s official target of 7.0% in 2015, but then
slow gradually to 6.0% by 2017 as the authorities act to shift away
from investment in favour of private consumption
 Inflation may ease in 2015 (0.7%) as falling real estate prices lead to
lower domestic inflation and falling global food prices slow foreign
inflation; in 2016-17, we expect monetary stimulus and higher
global food prices to lift inflation to an average 1.8%
 The current account surplus may widen (3.0% of GDP in 2015) on
lower commodity prices; we expect a narrower surplus by 2017
(1.8%) as global commodity prices recover
 Capital outflows are expected to continue in 2015 as corporates pay
down USD debt ahead of higher expected US interest rates;
outflows are expected to continue with capital account
liberalisation in 2016-17
 The budget deficit is expected to widen (2.5% of GDP in 2015 to
2.9% by 2017) with increased spending on affordable housing and
high-speed railways
 Low inflation provides room for the central bank to inject liquidity
into the economy and cut interest rates and reserve requirement
ratios (RRR) to further stimulate growth
 Deposit growth is likely to ease (8%-9% in 2015-17) as economic
growth slows; lending growth is expected to be higher as shadow
bank loans continue to be absorbed into regulated banks;
profitability is likely to be lower as shadow bank loans push up
NPLs and provisioning
Joannes Mongardini
Head of Economics
+974 4453 4412
joannes.mongardini@qnb.com
Rory Fyfe
Senior Economist
+974 4453 4643
rory.fyfe@qnb.com
Ehsan Khoman
Economist
+974 4453 4423
ehsan.khoman@qnb.com
Hamda Al–Thani
Economist
+974 4453 4646
hamda.althani@qnb.com
Ziad Daoud
Economist
+974 4453 4642
ziad.daoud@qnb.com
Economics Team
economics@qnb.com
Editorial closing: 6 April 2015
2
Background
China became the world’s largest economy in 2014 and
the predominant contributor to global growth
China has transformed over the last 30 years from a
predominantly agrarian economy into the world’s factory,
lifting 500m people out of poverty in the process. It is the
most populous nation (1.37bn people), the largest
contributor to global growth, the largest exporting nation,
and the world’s largest economy on a purchasing power
parity (PPP) basis. Nevertheless, China remains a middle
income country per capita: GDP per capita was just under
USD13k in 2014, compared with USD55k in the US. To
achieve higher per capita income, China plans to enact a
new transformation from an investment–led to a
consumer-led economy. China currently has one of the
world’s highest private savings rates at 49% of GDP.
Encouraging people to spend more of these savings to
drive the economy forward is the main challenge for the
future.
GDP of the World’s Largest Economies
(USD tn adjusted for PPP, 2017 value shown)
Source: International Monetary Fund (IMF)
Strong investment drove growth over the last 30 years,
but China is now transitioning to consumption-led growth
Investments in infrastructure and manufacturing and a
focus on the external sector have been the main drivers of
growth up to 2012. In the 2000s, privatisation, low labour
costs and opening up to foreign investment drove
economic expansion. In 2008, an USD600bn stimulus
(mainly infrastructure projects) further boosted
investment growth as exports slowed due to the global
recession. This growth model has now become
unsustainable: over-investment and weak global demand
have led to excess capacity in manufacturing and
infrastructure and high levels of credit to the economy
(205% of GDP at end-2014) from traditional and shadow
banks. As a result, the authorities aim to shift the
economy towards services and innovation as well as
stimulating domestic consumption to guide the economy
onto a more sustainable growth path.
Consumption, Investment and Exports
(% of GDP)
Sources: IMF and QNB Economics estimates
The transition means growth is expected to ease from
previous high levels
China grew by an average annual rate of 9.8% in 2001-14.
The transition to a more consumer-led economy entails a
gradual easing. Growth peaked at 14.2% in 2007, but has
slowed since, although it remains one of the highest in the
world at 7.4% in 2014 and is expected to remain above
6.0% through 2017. China’s new leadership has taken
action to enhance growth (financial liberalisation; tax
breaks for small companies; fiscal stimulus; and monetary
easing) and rein in corruption and shadow banking.
Further reforms are expected to increase openness and
trade links and encourage private sector development.
Reforms will also need to address medium term
challenges, such as rising pollution, driving innovation
and reorienting export-oriented cities towards economic
diversification.
Real GDP Growth
(%)
Source: National Bureau of Statistics (NBS)
China, 22.8
United
States,
20.2
European
Union, 20.3
0
5
10
15
20
25
2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 2015f 2017f
Exports
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014
Private
Consumption
Private
Consumption
Private
Consumption
Private
Consumption
Private
Consumption
Private
Consumption
Private
Consumption
Private
Consumption
Investment
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 2015f 2017f
Average 2001-2014:
9.8%
3
Recent Developments
Chinese GDP growth eased in 2014 as the economy
shifted away from investment driven growth
Real GDP growth eased to 7.4% in 2014 from 10.4% in
2010, mainly due to a slowdown in investment. The
contribution of investment to real GDP growth has been
volatile, but it eased to 3.3 percentage points (pps) in
2014, due to excess capacity in the economy, notably in
the real estate sector, as well as government efforts to
direct the economy away from investment. The
contribution of private consumption to real GDP growth
slowed to 2.6pps as reforms to boost consumption take
time to gain traction. We estimate that net exports made
a small positive contribution to growth in 2014.
Estimated Contributions to Real GDP Growth
(pps and %)
Sources: NBS and QNB Economics estimates
A decline in real estate prices and lower global commodity
prices pulled inflation down
Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation slowed to 2.0% in
2014 (2.6% in 2013) as falling real estate prices pulled
down domestic inflation and weaker global commodity
prices led to lower foreign inflation.1
Rents are estimated
to constitute the highest weight in the overall CPI basket
(17.6%). Falling real estate prices drove down rents and
domestic inflation in 2014. Lower global food and
commodity prices have kept foreign inflation relatively
low, dragging overall inflation further down. Inflation fell
further to an average 1.1% in the first two months of
2015, mainly driven by lower domestic inflation.
CPI Inflation
(% change; weights given in brackets)
Sources: NBS and QNB Economics estimates
Falling real estate prices are increasing the risk of
deflation, but the government has sufficient resources to
absorb this potential shock
Residential property prices fell 5.7% in the twelve months
to February 2015 as the housing market has become
heavily oversupplied. High investment and leverage in
real estate has driven economic growth in recent years
through residential construction and other household-
related sectors. Local governments, property developers,
investors and individuals are exposed to real estate.
However, public debt is relatively low (41% of GDP) and
the authorities have substantial resources (USD3.8tn in
international reserves) to absorb any potential shock from
the real estate sector.
Newly Built Residential Buildings Prices
(70 major cities, simple average, % change, year on year)
Source: NBS and Bloomberg
1
Domestic inflation comprises of residence, recreation, education and culture articles, transportation and communication, health care and personal articles,
household facilities, articles and services. Foreign inflation includes food, tobacco, liquor, articles and clothing.
0.4 -0.4 -0.2 -0.3 0.5
5.5
4.5 3.6 4.2 3.3
3.0
4.0
3.0
2.8
2.6
1.5
1.3
1.2 1.1
0.9
10.4
9.3
7.7 7.7
7.4
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
Overall Growth
Public
Consumption
Private
Consumption
Investment
Net Exports
0.0
1.0
2.0
3.0
4.0
5.0
6.0
Dec-12 Apr-13 Aug-13 Dec-13 Apr-14 Aug-14 Dec-14
Domestic (57%) Foreign (43%) Overall
0.6
9.2
6.4
-5.7
-8
-6
-4
-2
0
2
4
6
8
10
Jan-13 Jul-13 Jan-14 Jul-14 Jan-15
4
The current account surplus rose in 2014 as lower global
commodity prices reduced the import bill
The current account surplus rose to 2.1% of GDP in 2014
(1.9% in 2013) as lower global commodity prices reduced
the import bill, which more than offset the negative
impact of weak global demand on exports. Exports
continued to fall as a share of GDP (from 25.6% in 2013 to
24.8% in 2014) on weak global demand. A sizable portion
of imports are tied to exports as manufacturing inputs are
sourced abroad, mainly from other Asian countries such
as Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.
Therefore, import growth fell alongside export growth.
Additionally, the sharp fall in oil prices and lower global
commodity prices drove the import bill down, a trend that
has continued in early 2015 with year-on-year imports
plunging an average 20.1% from a year earlier in the first
two months of the year.
Current Account
(% of GDP)
Sources: NBS, IMF and QNB Economics estimates
Capital outflows weakened the CNY against the USD
Capital outflows increased in Q4 2014 as corporates paid
down external debt as the USD strengthened and ahead of
expected higher US interest rates, leading to a weaker
CNY. The People’s Bank of China (PBoC) sets an official
fixed exchange rate for the currency on a daily basis. The
interbank exchange rate is permitted to deviate from the
daily fixing by +/- 2%, creating a trading band for the
currency with an upper and lower limit. Since late 2014,
the authorities have weakened the official exchange rate
against the USD (through a higher daily fixing) to support
growth by maintaining export competitiveness. The
interbank exchange rate is currently trading close to the
upper limit of the trading band, probably as a result of
downward pressures from capital outflows.
Exchange Rate
(USD:CNY)
Source: Bloomberg
The budget deficit widened as the authorities
implemented a fiscal stimulus to meet growth targets
The budget deficit widened to 1.8% of GDP in 2014 (0.9%
in 2013) as the authorities implemented a robust fiscal
stimulus to meet growth targets. Most of the stimulus
was provided through higher spending, which rose from
29.1% of GDP in 2013 to 30.1% of GDP in 2014. Current
expenditure was increased as well as investment in high-
speed railways and affordable housing. The government
has recently introduced new measures to deal with rising,
but still low, public debt (41.2% of GDP at end-2014):
rating the performance of officials based on financial
soundness not growth; introducing reforms to increase
transparency and reduce corruption; encouraging the
development of a local government bond market; and
initiating a debt swap plan (see below).
General Government Budget
(% of GDP)
Sources: NBS, IMF and QNB Economics estimates
29.3
28.6
26.8
25.6
24.8
25.6
26.1
24.0
23.1
22.1
4.0
1.9
2.6
1.9 2.1
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014e
Exports Imports Balance
5.9
6.0
6.1
6.2
6.3
6.4
Dec-13 Feb-14 Apr-14 Jun-14 Aug-14 Oct-14 Dec-14 Feb-15
Trading band increased
from 1% to 2% (Mar-
14)
Lower Limit
Upper Limit
Official
DailyFixing
Interbank
FX Rate
25.1
27.7
28.4
28.2
28.4
26.3
27.1
28.2
29.1
30.1
-1.2
0.6
0.2
-0.9
-1.8
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
Revenue Expenditure Balance
5
The PBoC loosened monetary policy to support growth
The PBoC has loosened monetary policy to stimulate the
economy and alleviate tighter liquidity. A series of cuts in
policy interest rates began in November 2014 as the PBoC
reduced one-year lending rates by 40 basis points (bps) to
5.6% and one-year benchmark deposit rates to 2.75% (a
25bps cut). In early February 2015, the PBoC cut the RRR,
which stipulates the share of deposits commercial banks
must hold as cash, by 50bps to 19.5%, while both the
lending and deposit policy rates were cut by an additional
25bps to 5.4% and 2.5% respectively. Additionally, to
alleviate tight liquidity, the PBoC reportedly injected
CNY500bn into the banking system in September 2014
and a further CNY200bn in October.
RRR and Policy Interest Rates
(%)
Source: People’s Bank of China (PBoC)
Policy measures were introduced to restrict shadow
banking, which accelerated credit growth in the regulated
sector
Deposit growth eased to 9.1% in 2014 (13.8% in 2013) as
the economy slowed and as capital leaked out of the
country. Local government financing vehicles (LGFVs)
were central to driving the rapid growth of shadow
banking in recent years. In 2014, the authorities limited
borrowing through LGFVs, ending in their outright ban in
October, which then pushed local governments towards
regulated loans instead of shadow banking. Therefore,
credit growth rose to 16.2% (15.1% in 2013) as reforms
pushed shadow-bank loans into the regulated segment.
With loans growing faster than deposits, the loan to
deposit ratio rose to 94.6% at end-2014, from 88.8% at
end-2013. As lower quality assets from the shadow
banking system were brought back onto the balance
sheets of regulated banks, NPLs rose slightly to 1.3% at
end-2014, compared with 1.0% at end-2013. As a result,
provisioning increased, which had a negative impact on
profitability. Return on average equity fell to 17.6% in
2014 from 19.2% in 2013. Banks remained well
capitalised, with the average capital adequacy ratio at
13.2% at end-2014.
Banking Sector Growth
(% change, year on year)
Source: NBS and PBoC
Lending to households is growing rapidly, which is
supporting consumption growth
Growth in domestic credit remains relatively high
(16.2%), boosted by restrictions on shadow banking.
Credit to households has been growing faster than credit
to corporates. Around 65% of loans to households are for
consumption and this should, therefore, support the
economic shift to a consumer-led economy. There has also
been high growth in mortgage loans (17.6% in 2014 and
21.0% in 2013) as a more affluent middle-class has bought
properties in urban areas. Lending to nonbank financial
companies rose 46.5% in the year to December 2014,
although from a low base, as the government relaxed
restrictions on consumer finance companies.
Bank Lending by Regulated Banks
(CNY tn and % change in the year to Dec-14)
Source: NBS
20.0
19.5
6.0
5.6
5.4
3.0 2.8
2.5
2
3
4
5
6
7
15.0
17.0
19.0
21.0
23.0
25.0
Jan-13 Jun-13 Nov-13 Apr-14 Sep-14 Feb-15
RRR (left axis) Lending (right axis)
Deposit (right axis)
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
20
Jan-13 May-13 Sep-13 Jan-14 May-14 Sep-14 Jan-15
Assets
Deposits
Loans
-10
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
Jan-10 Jan-11 Jan-12 Jan-13 Jan-14
Corporate, 12.5%
Household, 16.6%
Nonbank Financial, 46.5%
Government, 12.2%
Dec-14
6
Macroeconomic Outlook (2015-17)
The transition to a consumer-led economy may take time
to materialise on falling house prices and the risk of
deflation
Real GDP growth is expected to continue slowing from
7.0% in 2015 to 6.4% in 2016 and 6.0% in 2017 as the
authorities act to restrain investment in favour of private
consumption. Our projection for real GDP growth in 2015
is in line with the government’s official growth target.
The contribution of investment to real GDP growth is
expected to fall to 3.0pps in 2015, down from an estimated
3.3pps in 2014. Government plans to stimulate private
consumption may struggle to gain traction with falling
house prices undermining confidence and spending. A
slow recovery in the global economy and world trade
mean net exports are only likely to make a minor growth
contribution. A further investment slowdown and
moderate private consumption growth may lead to a
further growth slowdown to 6.4% in 2016 and 6.0% in
2017.
Contributions to Real GDP Growth
(pps and %)
Sources: NBS and QNB Economics estimates and forecasts
CPI inflation is expected to fall in 2015 on lower rents and
global food prices, before recovering in 2016-17
Inflation is expected to ease to 0.7% in 2015 as the weak
real estate market halts domestic inflation and falling
global food prices lead to low foreign inflation. In 2015,
falling house prices are likely to stall rent inflation, which
could be exacerbated by government plans to build more
homes. Furthermore, producer prices are falling (-4.8% in
the year to February) and some lower costs may be passed
on to consumers this year. Therefore, inflation in 2015 is
likely to be well below the PBoC’s 3% target, so more
interest rate and RRR cuts are likely. In 2016-17, looser
monetary policy should help lift domestic inflation.
Additionally, a recovery in global commodity prices and a
weaker exchange rate should raise foreign inflation.
CPI Inflation
(% change; weights given in brackets)
Sources: NBS and QNB Economics estimates and forecasts
The current account surplus may grow in 2015 on lower
commodity prices, but this could reverse in 2016-17
In 2015, the current account surplus is expected to widen
as the terms of trade improve on lower commodity prices.
China’s import bill should fall further in 2015 on lower
global commodity prices. Meanwhile, export prices should
be stable and helped by a moderate recovery in global
demand. In 2016-17, we expect a narrower surplus as a
recovery in global commodity prices increases the import
bill, despite the trend for more inputs into Chinese goods
being produced domestically. We expect some recovery in
exports thanks to a more competitive USD:CNY (see
below) and rising productivity. However, gains could be
limited by weak global trade, rising Chinese wages and as
the exchange rates of competitors are also weakening
(notably other Asian currencies and the euro).
Current Account
(% of GDP)
Sources: NBS, IMF and QNB Economics forecasts
3.3 3.0 2.8 2.6
2.6
2.5
2.3
2.1
0.5
0.5
0.6
0.7
0.9
0.9
0.8
0.7
7.4
7.0
6.4
6.0
2014e 2015f 2016f 2017f
Overall Growth
Public
Consumption
Private
Consumption
Investment
Net Exports
2.8
1.7
3.2
3.0
1.4
0.0 0.5
1.0
2.0
0.7
1.7
1.9
2014e 2015f 2016f 2017f
Foreign (43%) Domestic (57%) Overall
24.8 25.1
25.5 25.8
22.1
21.5
22.9
23.4
2.1
3.0
2.0
1.8
2014 2015f 2016f 2017f
Exports Imports Balance
7
The CNY is expected to weaken owing to capital outflows
Capital outflows are expected to persist, leading to a
weaker CNY during 2015-17. Chinese corporates are likely
to continue paying down USD external debt in 2015 ahead
of the expected US interest rate hikes. Meanwhile, the
authorities are pushing hard for capital account
liberalisation. This could increase outflows in 2015-17 as
China’s large domestic savings are increasingly invested
overseas, particularly if China’s economic slowdown
reduces returns on domestic assets. Capital outflows and
a narrowing current account surplus mean the exchange
rate is likely to weaken further. To offset this trend, the
authorities are likely to use international reserves to
provide support for the currency. We therefore expect
international reserves to fall to 16.2 months of import
cover by end-2017, from an estimated 19.9 months at end-
2014.
Exchange Rate
Sources: Bloomberg and QNB Economics forecasts
The budget deficit is expected to widen moderately as the
government increases spending to stimulate the economy
The government plans to raise spending on education,
health, housing and high speed railways. Revenue is
expected to remain flat as a share of GDP—reforms of the
business tax (replacing it with VAT in certain sectors)
should be offset by tax breaks for small companies. Higher
spending and flat revenue are expected to lead to a small
increase in the fiscal deficit from 2.5% in 2015 to 2.9% in
2017. The government has introduced a debt swap plan,
which will lengthen the tenor and lower the interest rate
on RMB1trn (USD160bn) of local government debt in
order to smooth the financing of the general government
budget deficit.
General Government Budget
(% of GDP)
Sources: IMF and QNB Economics estimates and forecasts
Banking sector growth is expected to ease with the
economy
Deposit growth is expected to slow in 2015 as the
economy cools and inflation falls. It should then recover
in 2016-17 as a cap on bank deposit rates is expected to be
removed and inflation rises. Lending growth should
outpace deposit growth as curbs on shadow banking lead
to higher loan growth in the regulated sector and as
deposits may leak abroad in search of higher yields.
Government efforts to stimulate lending, particularly to
consumers and SMEs, and looser central bank monetary
policy (interest rate and RRR cuts are expected) should
also elevate loan growth. As a result, the loan to deposit
ratio is expected to rise steadily. Profitability may be
negatively impacted as the increase in shadow bank loans
in the regulated sector are likely to push NPLs and
provisioning higher. Profits could also be squeezed by
narrower net interest margins owing to the expected
removal of the deposit cap and the opening of the banking
sector to competition.
Banking Sector
(% change, year on year)
Sources: PBoC and QNB Economics estimates and forecasts
6.2
6.4
6.5
6.619.9
18.0
16.8
16.2
14.0
15.0
16.0
17.0
18.0
19.0
20.0
21.0
6.0
6.1
6.2
6.3
6.4
6.5
6.6
6.7
2014 2015f 2016f 2017f
USD:CNY
International Reserves (months import cover)
28.4
28.4
28.4
28.4
30.1
30.8
31.2
31.3
-1.8
-2.5 -2.8 -2.9
2014e 2015f 2016f 2017f
Revenue Expenditure Balance
13.0
9.6
10.5
10.7
9.1
8.2
8.8
9.0
16.2
9.8
10.7
10.9
94.6%
96.0%
97.7%
99.4%
2014e 2015f 2016f 2017f
Assets Deposits
Loans Loans to Deposit Ratio
8
Macroeconomic Indicators
2010 2011 2012 2013 2015f 2016f 2017f
Real sector
Real GDP growth (%) 10.4 9.3 7.7 7.7 7.4 7.0 6.4 6.0
Nominal GDP (USD tn) 5.9 7.3 8.4 9.5 10.3 10.8 11.4 12.2
Growth (%) 16.5 22.9 14.7 12.9 8.3 5.2 5.7 6.7
GDP/capita (USD k, PPP) 9.0 10.0 10.9 11.9 12.8 13.4 14.1 15.1
Consumer price inflation (%) 3.3 5.4 2.6 2.6 2.0 0.7 1.7 1.9
Domestic (57%) 0.6 3.3 0.7 1.6 1.4 0.0 0.5 1.0
Foreign (43%) 6.6 10.1 4.2 4.1 2.8 1.7 3.2 3.0
External (% of GDP)
Current account balance 4.0 1.9 2.6 1.9 2.1 3.0 2.0 1.8
Trade balance (goods and services) 3.7 2.5 2.8 2.5 2.7 3.6 2.6 2.4
Exports 29.3 28.6 26.8 25.6 24.8 25.1 25.5 25.8
Imports 25.6 26.1 24.0 23.1 22.1 21.5 22.9 23.4
Income, transfers and omissions 0.2 -0.6 -0.2 -0.6 -0.6 -0.6 -0.6 -0.6
Capital and financial account balance 4.8 3.6 -0.4 3.4 -1.9 -2.3 -1.3 -0.8
International reserves (import cover) 17.9 18.9 18.1 20.2 19.9 18.0 16.8 16.2
External debt 9.4 9.5 8.8 9.1 8.2 7.6 7.0 7.2
Exchange rate USD:CNY (av) 6.8 6.5 6.3 6.2 6.2 6.4 6.5 6.6
Fiscal (% GDP, general government)
Budget balance -1.2 0.6 0.2 -0.9 -1.8 -2.5 -2.8 -2.9
Revenue 25.1 27.7 28.4 28.2 28.4 28.4 28.4 28.4
Expenditure 26.3 27.1 28.2 29.1 30.1 30.8 31.2 31.3
Public debt 36.6 36.5 37.4 39.4 41.2 43.5 45.3 46.8
Monetary
M2 growth 21.2 16.5 13.9 13.7 12.2 9.6 10.1 10.3
Interbank interest (%, 3 months, eop) 4.6 5.5 3.9 5.6 5.1 n.a. n.a. n.a.
Banking (%)
Return on equity 19.2 20.4 19.8 19.2 17.6 n.a. n.a. n.a.
NPL ratio 1.1 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.3 1.5 1.8 2.0
Capital adequacy ratio 12.2 12.7 13.3 12.2 13.2 n.a. n.a. n.a.
Asset growth 18.7 18.3 17.5 14.1 13.0 9.6 10.5 10.7
Deposit growth 20.2 12.7 13.4 13.8 9.1 8.2 8.8 9.0
Domestic credit growth 18.8 17.1 17.1 15.1 16.2 9.8 10.7 10.9
Domestic credit (% GDP) 145.8 145.6 152.2 158.0 169.2 172.6 176.6 180.7
Loan to deposit ratio 81.8 85.0 87.8 88.8 94.6 96.0 97.7 99.4
Memorandum items
Population (bn) 1.34 1.35 1.35 1.36 1.37 1.37 1.38 1.39
Growth (%) 0.48 0.48 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50
Unemployment (%) 4.1 4.1 4.1 4.1 4.1 4.1 4.1 4.1
Sources : Bloomberg, China Banking Regulatory Commission, IMF, PBoC, NBS and QNB Economics
estimates and forecasts
2014
9
QNB Group Publications
Recent Economic Insight Reports
China 2014 India 2014 Indonesia 2014 Jordan 2014 KSA 2013
Kuwait 2015 Oman 2013 Qatar – Sep 2014 Qatar - Feb 2015 UAE 2013
Qatar reports
Qatar Monthly Monitor
Recent Economic Commentaries
The Qatari Economy Grew Fast in 2014 Despite Falling Oil Prices
Global Headwinds To Slow Several Asian Countries
Has The Fed Run Out Of Patience?
Will China Meet its 2015 Growth Target?
India’s Budget Delivers on Modi’s Reform Agenda
Little Global Spillover from the Greek Drama
Why Did Bank Indonesia Cut Interest Rates?
Are We In For Another US Dollar Squeeze?
Are Oil Prices Poised For a Rebound?
Capital Flows into Emerging Markets to Remain Volatile in 2015
How the ECB Learned to Love Quantitative Easing
China’s Slowdown Could Further Deflate Commodity Prices
The Great Deflation of 2015
Qatar’s Inflation Remained Moderate in 2014
Why Is World Trade in the Doldrums?
Qatar’s non-hydrocarbon sector now accounts for over half of GDP
The rouble rubble may spell further trouble
Five Predictions for the Global Economy in 2015
Disclaimer and Copyright Notice
All the information in this report has been carefully collated and verified. However, QNB Group accepts no liability
whatsoever for any direct or consequential losses arising from its use. Where an opinion is expressed, unless otherwise
cited, it is that of the authors which does not coincide with that of any other party, and such opinions may not be
attributed to any other party.
The report is distributed on a complimentary basis to valued business partners of QNB Group. It may not be reproduced
in whole or in part without permission.
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China

  • 2. 1 Contents Executive Summary Background 2 Recent Developments 3 Macroeconomic Outlook 6 Macroeconomic Indicators 8 QNB Economics Publications 9 QNB Group International Network 10 A. Recent Developments  Real GDP growth eased to 7.4% in 2014 (7.7% in 2013) due to a slowdown in investment spending, lower consumption growth and weak global demand for Chinese exports  Inflation slowed to 2.0% in 2014 (2.6% in 2013) as weaker global commodity prices led to lower food prices and as falling real estate prices pulled down rent inflation  The current account surplus rose to 2.1% of GDP (1.9% in 2013) as lower global commodity prices reduced the import bill, which more than offset the impact of weak global growth on exports  Capital outflows increased in Q4 2014, with corporates paying down external debt as the US dollar (USD) strengthened ahead of potentially higher US interest rates  The budget deficit widened to 1.8% of GDP in 2014 (0.9% in 2013) as the authorities implemented a robust fiscal stimulus to meet their growth targets  The central bank loosened monetary policy to stimulate the economy and alleviate tighter liquidity  Bank deposit growth eased (9.1% in 2014) as economic growth slowed, while credit growth rose (16.2%) as shadow-bank loans were shifted to regulated banks, leading to a rise in non-performing loans (NPLs) and lower return on equity (17.6% at end-2014) B. Macroeconomic Outlook (2015-17)  China will continue to shift towards a consumer-led economy, implying an investment slowdown; real GDP growth is expected to reach the government’s official target of 7.0% in 2015, but then slow gradually to 6.0% by 2017 as the authorities act to shift away from investment in favour of private consumption  Inflation may ease in 2015 (0.7%) as falling real estate prices lead to lower domestic inflation and falling global food prices slow foreign inflation; in 2016-17, we expect monetary stimulus and higher global food prices to lift inflation to an average 1.8%  The current account surplus may widen (3.0% of GDP in 2015) on lower commodity prices; we expect a narrower surplus by 2017 (1.8%) as global commodity prices recover  Capital outflows are expected to continue in 2015 as corporates pay down USD debt ahead of higher expected US interest rates; outflows are expected to continue with capital account liberalisation in 2016-17  The budget deficit is expected to widen (2.5% of GDP in 2015 to 2.9% by 2017) with increased spending on affordable housing and high-speed railways  Low inflation provides room for the central bank to inject liquidity into the economy and cut interest rates and reserve requirement ratios (RRR) to further stimulate growth  Deposit growth is likely to ease (8%-9% in 2015-17) as economic growth slows; lending growth is expected to be higher as shadow bank loans continue to be absorbed into regulated banks; profitability is likely to be lower as shadow bank loans push up NPLs and provisioning Joannes Mongardini Head of Economics +974 4453 4412 joannes.mongardini@qnb.com Rory Fyfe Senior Economist +974 4453 4643 rory.fyfe@qnb.com Ehsan Khoman Economist +974 4453 4423 ehsan.khoman@qnb.com Hamda Al–Thani Economist +974 4453 4646 hamda.althani@qnb.com Ziad Daoud Economist +974 4453 4642 ziad.daoud@qnb.com Economics Team economics@qnb.com Editorial closing: 6 April 2015
  • 3. 2 Background China became the world’s largest economy in 2014 and the predominant contributor to global growth China has transformed over the last 30 years from a predominantly agrarian economy into the world’s factory, lifting 500m people out of poverty in the process. It is the most populous nation (1.37bn people), the largest contributor to global growth, the largest exporting nation, and the world’s largest economy on a purchasing power parity (PPP) basis. Nevertheless, China remains a middle income country per capita: GDP per capita was just under USD13k in 2014, compared with USD55k in the US. To achieve higher per capita income, China plans to enact a new transformation from an investment–led to a consumer-led economy. China currently has one of the world’s highest private savings rates at 49% of GDP. Encouraging people to spend more of these savings to drive the economy forward is the main challenge for the future. GDP of the World’s Largest Economies (USD tn adjusted for PPP, 2017 value shown) Source: International Monetary Fund (IMF) Strong investment drove growth over the last 30 years, but China is now transitioning to consumption-led growth Investments in infrastructure and manufacturing and a focus on the external sector have been the main drivers of growth up to 2012. In the 2000s, privatisation, low labour costs and opening up to foreign investment drove economic expansion. In 2008, an USD600bn stimulus (mainly infrastructure projects) further boosted investment growth as exports slowed due to the global recession. This growth model has now become unsustainable: over-investment and weak global demand have led to excess capacity in manufacturing and infrastructure and high levels of credit to the economy (205% of GDP at end-2014) from traditional and shadow banks. As a result, the authorities aim to shift the economy towards services and innovation as well as stimulating domestic consumption to guide the economy onto a more sustainable growth path. Consumption, Investment and Exports (% of GDP) Sources: IMF and QNB Economics estimates The transition means growth is expected to ease from previous high levels China grew by an average annual rate of 9.8% in 2001-14. The transition to a more consumer-led economy entails a gradual easing. Growth peaked at 14.2% in 2007, but has slowed since, although it remains one of the highest in the world at 7.4% in 2014 and is expected to remain above 6.0% through 2017. China’s new leadership has taken action to enhance growth (financial liberalisation; tax breaks for small companies; fiscal stimulus; and monetary easing) and rein in corruption and shadow banking. Further reforms are expected to increase openness and trade links and encourage private sector development. Reforms will also need to address medium term challenges, such as rising pollution, driving innovation and reorienting export-oriented cities towards economic diversification. Real GDP Growth (%) Source: National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) China, 22.8 United States, 20.2 European Union, 20.3 0 5 10 15 20 25 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 2015f 2017f Exports 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 Private Consumption Private Consumption Private Consumption Private Consumption Private Consumption Private Consumption Private Consumption Private Consumption Investment 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 2015f 2017f Average 2001-2014: 9.8%
  • 4. 3 Recent Developments Chinese GDP growth eased in 2014 as the economy shifted away from investment driven growth Real GDP growth eased to 7.4% in 2014 from 10.4% in 2010, mainly due to a slowdown in investment. The contribution of investment to real GDP growth has been volatile, but it eased to 3.3 percentage points (pps) in 2014, due to excess capacity in the economy, notably in the real estate sector, as well as government efforts to direct the economy away from investment. The contribution of private consumption to real GDP growth slowed to 2.6pps as reforms to boost consumption take time to gain traction. We estimate that net exports made a small positive contribution to growth in 2014. Estimated Contributions to Real GDP Growth (pps and %) Sources: NBS and QNB Economics estimates A decline in real estate prices and lower global commodity prices pulled inflation down Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation slowed to 2.0% in 2014 (2.6% in 2013) as falling real estate prices pulled down domestic inflation and weaker global commodity prices led to lower foreign inflation.1 Rents are estimated to constitute the highest weight in the overall CPI basket (17.6%). Falling real estate prices drove down rents and domestic inflation in 2014. Lower global food and commodity prices have kept foreign inflation relatively low, dragging overall inflation further down. Inflation fell further to an average 1.1% in the first two months of 2015, mainly driven by lower domestic inflation. CPI Inflation (% change; weights given in brackets) Sources: NBS and QNB Economics estimates Falling real estate prices are increasing the risk of deflation, but the government has sufficient resources to absorb this potential shock Residential property prices fell 5.7% in the twelve months to February 2015 as the housing market has become heavily oversupplied. High investment and leverage in real estate has driven economic growth in recent years through residential construction and other household- related sectors. Local governments, property developers, investors and individuals are exposed to real estate. However, public debt is relatively low (41% of GDP) and the authorities have substantial resources (USD3.8tn in international reserves) to absorb any potential shock from the real estate sector. Newly Built Residential Buildings Prices (70 major cities, simple average, % change, year on year) Source: NBS and Bloomberg 1 Domestic inflation comprises of residence, recreation, education and culture articles, transportation and communication, health care and personal articles, household facilities, articles and services. Foreign inflation includes food, tobacco, liquor, articles and clothing. 0.4 -0.4 -0.2 -0.3 0.5 5.5 4.5 3.6 4.2 3.3 3.0 4.0 3.0 2.8 2.6 1.5 1.3 1.2 1.1 0.9 10.4 9.3 7.7 7.7 7.4 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 Overall Growth Public Consumption Private Consumption Investment Net Exports 0.0 1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0 6.0 Dec-12 Apr-13 Aug-13 Dec-13 Apr-14 Aug-14 Dec-14 Domestic (57%) Foreign (43%) Overall 0.6 9.2 6.4 -5.7 -8 -6 -4 -2 0 2 4 6 8 10 Jan-13 Jul-13 Jan-14 Jul-14 Jan-15
  • 5. 4 The current account surplus rose in 2014 as lower global commodity prices reduced the import bill The current account surplus rose to 2.1% of GDP in 2014 (1.9% in 2013) as lower global commodity prices reduced the import bill, which more than offset the negative impact of weak global demand on exports. Exports continued to fall as a share of GDP (from 25.6% in 2013 to 24.8% in 2014) on weak global demand. A sizable portion of imports are tied to exports as manufacturing inputs are sourced abroad, mainly from other Asian countries such as Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam. Therefore, import growth fell alongside export growth. Additionally, the sharp fall in oil prices and lower global commodity prices drove the import bill down, a trend that has continued in early 2015 with year-on-year imports plunging an average 20.1% from a year earlier in the first two months of the year. Current Account (% of GDP) Sources: NBS, IMF and QNB Economics estimates Capital outflows weakened the CNY against the USD Capital outflows increased in Q4 2014 as corporates paid down external debt as the USD strengthened and ahead of expected higher US interest rates, leading to a weaker CNY. The People’s Bank of China (PBoC) sets an official fixed exchange rate for the currency on a daily basis. The interbank exchange rate is permitted to deviate from the daily fixing by +/- 2%, creating a trading band for the currency with an upper and lower limit. Since late 2014, the authorities have weakened the official exchange rate against the USD (through a higher daily fixing) to support growth by maintaining export competitiveness. The interbank exchange rate is currently trading close to the upper limit of the trading band, probably as a result of downward pressures from capital outflows. Exchange Rate (USD:CNY) Source: Bloomberg The budget deficit widened as the authorities implemented a fiscal stimulus to meet growth targets The budget deficit widened to 1.8% of GDP in 2014 (0.9% in 2013) as the authorities implemented a robust fiscal stimulus to meet growth targets. Most of the stimulus was provided through higher spending, which rose from 29.1% of GDP in 2013 to 30.1% of GDP in 2014. Current expenditure was increased as well as investment in high- speed railways and affordable housing. The government has recently introduced new measures to deal with rising, but still low, public debt (41.2% of GDP at end-2014): rating the performance of officials based on financial soundness not growth; introducing reforms to increase transparency and reduce corruption; encouraging the development of a local government bond market; and initiating a debt swap plan (see below). General Government Budget (% of GDP) Sources: NBS, IMF and QNB Economics estimates 29.3 28.6 26.8 25.6 24.8 25.6 26.1 24.0 23.1 22.1 4.0 1.9 2.6 1.9 2.1 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014e Exports Imports Balance 5.9 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 Dec-13 Feb-14 Apr-14 Jun-14 Aug-14 Oct-14 Dec-14 Feb-15 Trading band increased from 1% to 2% (Mar- 14) Lower Limit Upper Limit Official DailyFixing Interbank FX Rate 25.1 27.7 28.4 28.2 28.4 26.3 27.1 28.2 29.1 30.1 -1.2 0.6 0.2 -0.9 -1.8 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 Revenue Expenditure Balance
  • 6. 5 The PBoC loosened monetary policy to support growth The PBoC has loosened monetary policy to stimulate the economy and alleviate tighter liquidity. A series of cuts in policy interest rates began in November 2014 as the PBoC reduced one-year lending rates by 40 basis points (bps) to 5.6% and one-year benchmark deposit rates to 2.75% (a 25bps cut). In early February 2015, the PBoC cut the RRR, which stipulates the share of deposits commercial banks must hold as cash, by 50bps to 19.5%, while both the lending and deposit policy rates were cut by an additional 25bps to 5.4% and 2.5% respectively. Additionally, to alleviate tight liquidity, the PBoC reportedly injected CNY500bn into the banking system in September 2014 and a further CNY200bn in October. RRR and Policy Interest Rates (%) Source: People’s Bank of China (PBoC) Policy measures were introduced to restrict shadow banking, which accelerated credit growth in the regulated sector Deposit growth eased to 9.1% in 2014 (13.8% in 2013) as the economy slowed and as capital leaked out of the country. Local government financing vehicles (LGFVs) were central to driving the rapid growth of shadow banking in recent years. In 2014, the authorities limited borrowing through LGFVs, ending in their outright ban in October, which then pushed local governments towards regulated loans instead of shadow banking. Therefore, credit growth rose to 16.2% (15.1% in 2013) as reforms pushed shadow-bank loans into the regulated segment. With loans growing faster than deposits, the loan to deposit ratio rose to 94.6% at end-2014, from 88.8% at end-2013. As lower quality assets from the shadow banking system were brought back onto the balance sheets of regulated banks, NPLs rose slightly to 1.3% at end-2014, compared with 1.0% at end-2013. As a result, provisioning increased, which had a negative impact on profitability. Return on average equity fell to 17.6% in 2014 from 19.2% in 2013. Banks remained well capitalised, with the average capital adequacy ratio at 13.2% at end-2014. Banking Sector Growth (% change, year on year) Source: NBS and PBoC Lending to households is growing rapidly, which is supporting consumption growth Growth in domestic credit remains relatively high (16.2%), boosted by restrictions on shadow banking. Credit to households has been growing faster than credit to corporates. Around 65% of loans to households are for consumption and this should, therefore, support the economic shift to a consumer-led economy. There has also been high growth in mortgage loans (17.6% in 2014 and 21.0% in 2013) as a more affluent middle-class has bought properties in urban areas. Lending to nonbank financial companies rose 46.5% in the year to December 2014, although from a low base, as the government relaxed restrictions on consumer finance companies. Bank Lending by Regulated Banks (CNY tn and % change in the year to Dec-14) Source: NBS 20.0 19.5 6.0 5.6 5.4 3.0 2.8 2.5 2 3 4 5 6 7 15.0 17.0 19.0 21.0 23.0 25.0 Jan-13 Jun-13 Nov-13 Apr-14 Sep-14 Feb-15 RRR (left axis) Lending (right axis) Deposit (right axis) 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 Jan-13 May-13 Sep-13 Jan-14 May-14 Sep-14 Jan-15 Assets Deposits Loans -10 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 Jan-10 Jan-11 Jan-12 Jan-13 Jan-14 Corporate, 12.5% Household, 16.6% Nonbank Financial, 46.5% Government, 12.2% Dec-14
  • 7. 6 Macroeconomic Outlook (2015-17) The transition to a consumer-led economy may take time to materialise on falling house prices and the risk of deflation Real GDP growth is expected to continue slowing from 7.0% in 2015 to 6.4% in 2016 and 6.0% in 2017 as the authorities act to restrain investment in favour of private consumption. Our projection for real GDP growth in 2015 is in line with the government’s official growth target. The contribution of investment to real GDP growth is expected to fall to 3.0pps in 2015, down from an estimated 3.3pps in 2014. Government plans to stimulate private consumption may struggle to gain traction with falling house prices undermining confidence and spending. A slow recovery in the global economy and world trade mean net exports are only likely to make a minor growth contribution. A further investment slowdown and moderate private consumption growth may lead to a further growth slowdown to 6.4% in 2016 and 6.0% in 2017. Contributions to Real GDP Growth (pps and %) Sources: NBS and QNB Economics estimates and forecasts CPI inflation is expected to fall in 2015 on lower rents and global food prices, before recovering in 2016-17 Inflation is expected to ease to 0.7% in 2015 as the weak real estate market halts domestic inflation and falling global food prices lead to low foreign inflation. In 2015, falling house prices are likely to stall rent inflation, which could be exacerbated by government plans to build more homes. Furthermore, producer prices are falling (-4.8% in the year to February) and some lower costs may be passed on to consumers this year. Therefore, inflation in 2015 is likely to be well below the PBoC’s 3% target, so more interest rate and RRR cuts are likely. In 2016-17, looser monetary policy should help lift domestic inflation. Additionally, a recovery in global commodity prices and a weaker exchange rate should raise foreign inflation. CPI Inflation (% change; weights given in brackets) Sources: NBS and QNB Economics estimates and forecasts The current account surplus may grow in 2015 on lower commodity prices, but this could reverse in 2016-17 In 2015, the current account surplus is expected to widen as the terms of trade improve on lower commodity prices. China’s import bill should fall further in 2015 on lower global commodity prices. Meanwhile, export prices should be stable and helped by a moderate recovery in global demand. In 2016-17, we expect a narrower surplus as a recovery in global commodity prices increases the import bill, despite the trend for more inputs into Chinese goods being produced domestically. We expect some recovery in exports thanks to a more competitive USD:CNY (see below) and rising productivity. However, gains could be limited by weak global trade, rising Chinese wages and as the exchange rates of competitors are also weakening (notably other Asian currencies and the euro). Current Account (% of GDP) Sources: NBS, IMF and QNB Economics forecasts 3.3 3.0 2.8 2.6 2.6 2.5 2.3 2.1 0.5 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.9 0.9 0.8 0.7 7.4 7.0 6.4 6.0 2014e 2015f 2016f 2017f Overall Growth Public Consumption Private Consumption Investment Net Exports 2.8 1.7 3.2 3.0 1.4 0.0 0.5 1.0 2.0 0.7 1.7 1.9 2014e 2015f 2016f 2017f Foreign (43%) Domestic (57%) Overall 24.8 25.1 25.5 25.8 22.1 21.5 22.9 23.4 2.1 3.0 2.0 1.8 2014 2015f 2016f 2017f Exports Imports Balance
  • 8. 7 The CNY is expected to weaken owing to capital outflows Capital outflows are expected to persist, leading to a weaker CNY during 2015-17. Chinese corporates are likely to continue paying down USD external debt in 2015 ahead of the expected US interest rate hikes. Meanwhile, the authorities are pushing hard for capital account liberalisation. This could increase outflows in 2015-17 as China’s large domestic savings are increasingly invested overseas, particularly if China’s economic slowdown reduces returns on domestic assets. Capital outflows and a narrowing current account surplus mean the exchange rate is likely to weaken further. To offset this trend, the authorities are likely to use international reserves to provide support for the currency. We therefore expect international reserves to fall to 16.2 months of import cover by end-2017, from an estimated 19.9 months at end- 2014. Exchange Rate Sources: Bloomberg and QNB Economics forecasts The budget deficit is expected to widen moderately as the government increases spending to stimulate the economy The government plans to raise spending on education, health, housing and high speed railways. Revenue is expected to remain flat as a share of GDP—reforms of the business tax (replacing it with VAT in certain sectors) should be offset by tax breaks for small companies. Higher spending and flat revenue are expected to lead to a small increase in the fiscal deficit from 2.5% in 2015 to 2.9% in 2017. The government has introduced a debt swap plan, which will lengthen the tenor and lower the interest rate on RMB1trn (USD160bn) of local government debt in order to smooth the financing of the general government budget deficit. General Government Budget (% of GDP) Sources: IMF and QNB Economics estimates and forecasts Banking sector growth is expected to ease with the economy Deposit growth is expected to slow in 2015 as the economy cools and inflation falls. It should then recover in 2016-17 as a cap on bank deposit rates is expected to be removed and inflation rises. Lending growth should outpace deposit growth as curbs on shadow banking lead to higher loan growth in the regulated sector and as deposits may leak abroad in search of higher yields. Government efforts to stimulate lending, particularly to consumers and SMEs, and looser central bank monetary policy (interest rate and RRR cuts are expected) should also elevate loan growth. As a result, the loan to deposit ratio is expected to rise steadily. Profitability may be negatively impacted as the increase in shadow bank loans in the regulated sector are likely to push NPLs and provisioning higher. Profits could also be squeezed by narrower net interest margins owing to the expected removal of the deposit cap and the opening of the banking sector to competition. Banking Sector (% change, year on year) Sources: PBoC and QNB Economics estimates and forecasts 6.2 6.4 6.5 6.619.9 18.0 16.8 16.2 14.0 15.0 16.0 17.0 18.0 19.0 20.0 21.0 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 6.7 2014 2015f 2016f 2017f USD:CNY International Reserves (months import cover) 28.4 28.4 28.4 28.4 30.1 30.8 31.2 31.3 -1.8 -2.5 -2.8 -2.9 2014e 2015f 2016f 2017f Revenue Expenditure Balance 13.0 9.6 10.5 10.7 9.1 8.2 8.8 9.0 16.2 9.8 10.7 10.9 94.6% 96.0% 97.7% 99.4% 2014e 2015f 2016f 2017f Assets Deposits Loans Loans to Deposit Ratio
  • 9. 8 Macroeconomic Indicators 2010 2011 2012 2013 2015f 2016f 2017f Real sector Real GDP growth (%) 10.4 9.3 7.7 7.7 7.4 7.0 6.4 6.0 Nominal GDP (USD tn) 5.9 7.3 8.4 9.5 10.3 10.8 11.4 12.2 Growth (%) 16.5 22.9 14.7 12.9 8.3 5.2 5.7 6.7 GDP/capita (USD k, PPP) 9.0 10.0 10.9 11.9 12.8 13.4 14.1 15.1 Consumer price inflation (%) 3.3 5.4 2.6 2.6 2.0 0.7 1.7 1.9 Domestic (57%) 0.6 3.3 0.7 1.6 1.4 0.0 0.5 1.0 Foreign (43%) 6.6 10.1 4.2 4.1 2.8 1.7 3.2 3.0 External (% of GDP) Current account balance 4.0 1.9 2.6 1.9 2.1 3.0 2.0 1.8 Trade balance (goods and services) 3.7 2.5 2.8 2.5 2.7 3.6 2.6 2.4 Exports 29.3 28.6 26.8 25.6 24.8 25.1 25.5 25.8 Imports 25.6 26.1 24.0 23.1 22.1 21.5 22.9 23.4 Income, transfers and omissions 0.2 -0.6 -0.2 -0.6 -0.6 -0.6 -0.6 -0.6 Capital and financial account balance 4.8 3.6 -0.4 3.4 -1.9 -2.3 -1.3 -0.8 International reserves (import cover) 17.9 18.9 18.1 20.2 19.9 18.0 16.8 16.2 External debt 9.4 9.5 8.8 9.1 8.2 7.6 7.0 7.2 Exchange rate USD:CNY (av) 6.8 6.5 6.3 6.2 6.2 6.4 6.5 6.6 Fiscal (% GDP, general government) Budget balance -1.2 0.6 0.2 -0.9 -1.8 -2.5 -2.8 -2.9 Revenue 25.1 27.7 28.4 28.2 28.4 28.4 28.4 28.4 Expenditure 26.3 27.1 28.2 29.1 30.1 30.8 31.2 31.3 Public debt 36.6 36.5 37.4 39.4 41.2 43.5 45.3 46.8 Monetary M2 growth 21.2 16.5 13.9 13.7 12.2 9.6 10.1 10.3 Interbank interest (%, 3 months, eop) 4.6 5.5 3.9 5.6 5.1 n.a. n.a. n.a. Banking (%) Return on equity 19.2 20.4 19.8 19.2 17.6 n.a. n.a. n.a. NPL ratio 1.1 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.3 1.5 1.8 2.0 Capital adequacy ratio 12.2 12.7 13.3 12.2 13.2 n.a. n.a. n.a. Asset growth 18.7 18.3 17.5 14.1 13.0 9.6 10.5 10.7 Deposit growth 20.2 12.7 13.4 13.8 9.1 8.2 8.8 9.0 Domestic credit growth 18.8 17.1 17.1 15.1 16.2 9.8 10.7 10.9 Domestic credit (% GDP) 145.8 145.6 152.2 158.0 169.2 172.6 176.6 180.7 Loan to deposit ratio 81.8 85.0 87.8 88.8 94.6 96.0 97.7 99.4 Memorandum items Population (bn) 1.34 1.35 1.35 1.36 1.37 1.37 1.38 1.39 Growth (%) 0.48 0.48 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 Unemployment (%) 4.1 4.1 4.1 4.1 4.1 4.1 4.1 4.1 Sources : Bloomberg, China Banking Regulatory Commission, IMF, PBoC, NBS and QNB Economics estimates and forecasts 2014
  • 10. 9 QNB Group Publications Recent Economic Insight Reports China 2014 India 2014 Indonesia 2014 Jordan 2014 KSA 2013 Kuwait 2015 Oman 2013 Qatar – Sep 2014 Qatar - Feb 2015 UAE 2013 Qatar reports Qatar Monthly Monitor Recent Economic Commentaries The Qatari Economy Grew Fast in 2014 Despite Falling Oil Prices Global Headwinds To Slow Several Asian Countries Has The Fed Run Out Of Patience? Will China Meet its 2015 Growth Target? India’s Budget Delivers on Modi’s Reform Agenda Little Global Spillover from the Greek Drama Why Did Bank Indonesia Cut Interest Rates? Are We In For Another US Dollar Squeeze? Are Oil Prices Poised For a Rebound? Capital Flows into Emerging Markets to Remain Volatile in 2015 How the ECB Learned to Love Quantitative Easing China’s Slowdown Could Further Deflate Commodity Prices The Great Deflation of 2015 Qatar’s Inflation Remained Moderate in 2014 Why Is World Trade in the Doldrums? Qatar’s non-hydrocarbon sector now accounts for over half of GDP The rouble rubble may spell further trouble Five Predictions for the Global Economy in 2015 Disclaimer and Copyright Notice All the information in this report has been carefully collated and verified. However, QNB Group accepts no liability whatsoever for any direct or consequential losses arising from its use. Where an opinion is expressed, unless otherwise cited, it is that of the authors which does not coincide with that of any other party, and such opinions may not be attributed to any other party. The report is distributed on a complimentary basis to valued business partners of QNB Group. It may not be reproduced in whole or in part without permission.
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