Economics benchmarks – the latest data and analysis
Economics
Economics Benchmarks 2026 report – advanced analytics
AI usage is increasing, but banks still vary in their approaches
The Economics Benchmarks 2026 show that economics departments at central banks are responding to wider global narratives: interest in artificial intelligence and geopolitical risk is on the rise. The presence of AI in particular is being felt more than ever. When asked how much AI was impacting their work, respondents gave an average score of three out of five, an increase of nearly 50% on 2023 and 2024.
Charts
Geopolitics in focus
Though inflation dynamics are still seen as the most important topic overall, geopolitical risk saw the biggest change relative to the previous benchmark, from 2024. On a five-point scale, economics departments rated geopolitics 3.9 on average in 2026, a rise of 0.6 percentage points relative to 2024. No other topic rose by more than 0.2pp.
Economics Benchmarks 2026 – model banks analysis
Additional data breakdowns shed light on staffing, model types and AI usage
Economics data
View the full breakdown of responses to the Economics Benchmarks.
Previous years
Economics 2026
Economics 2024
Economics 2023
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Economics 2020
Economics Benchmarks 2026 Charts
Take a deep dive into the Economics Benchmarks charts, which have just been released for 2026
Economics Benchmarks 2026 – model banks analysis
Additional data breakdowns shed light on staffing, model types and AI usage
Economics Benchmarks 2026 report – executive summary
Key findings from the benchmark on AI use, model design and data-driven research
Economics Benchmarks 2026 report – advanced analytics
AI usage is increasing, but banks still vary in their approaches
Economics departments use multiple coding languages
More than half of central banks use five or more coding languages and tools
Geopolitics is fastest-rising research topic for economists
Research economists are most widely judged on their output of papers
Economists devote up to half of working hours to research
Higher-paid research economists tend to spend more time on own research
Dedicated data units widely used in economics departments
Teams make use of varied microdata in their work
Central banks predict growth more accurately than inflation
AI models may offer more precise forecasts
AI impact and usage growing in central bank economics departments
Regional variation exists, but adoption is increasing across the board
Most key projection models capture policy rates
But respondents rarely disclose policy rate forecasts alongside scenarios
Third of key models now employ endogenous financial sector
Multiple channels of monetary transmission rooted in majority models