Under IFRS 9, expected credit loss estimates should reflect reasonable and supportable forward-looking information.
A named external Consensus, aggregated from 1,000+ contributing economists, gives model validation teams exactly that.
FocusEconomics provides clear, unbiased macro intelligence for better allocation and risk decisions.
198
Countries
368
Participating Institutions
40
Commodities
A single forecast is a single opinion. A Consensus is built on the combined expertise of over 1,000+ independent economists.
IFRS 9 requires institutions to incorporate forward-looking information into Expected Credit Loss (ECL) calculations. Obtaining consistent, reliable, and regularly updated macroeconomic assumptions across multiple markets can be a major challenge. Common difficulties include:
Selecting the macroeconomic drivers most relevant to your loan book
Building baseline and stress scenarios
Maintaining forecast consistency across countries
Updating assumptions as economic conditions evolve
Supporting model governance and audit requirements
How Do Independent Consensus Forecasts Strengthen your IFRS 9 ECL Model?
Meet the IFRS 9 requirement for a probability-weighted estimate across a range of outcomes - without building scenarios from scratch.
Source macro assumptions from a named, independent third-party, removing a common line of challenge in external model reviews.
Extend your coverage to the frontier markets where IFRS 9 adoption is newest and credible external macro data is hardest to source.
Keep your model current: monthly updates mean your ECL assumptions reflect conditions at the reporting date, not last year's projections.
How do firms use FocusEconomics in IFRS 9 workflow?
Scenario Construction
FocusEconomics publishes median, mean, minimum, and maximum outputs across all contributing panelists. That distribution maps directly to the baseline, upside, and downside scenarios your ECL model needs — without manual construction or internal assumptions to defend.
Model Validation
Benchmark internal macro assumptions against an independent Consensus. Give model validation teams a named, third-party reference point that satisfies the independence standard in external reviews.
Governance & Audit Support
When auditors ask where your macro assumptions come from, FocusEconomics gives you a clear answer. Forecasts are aggregated from 1,000+ named, independent contributing economists — fully documented, externally sourced, and attributable in model governance frameworks.
Emerging Market Coverage
Access Consensus forecast data across 198+ countries, including frontier markets where internal research resources are limited and most providers’ panelist depth is weakest.
Why FocusEconomics
Trusted data, built for real-world and AI-driven use.
- Consensus forecasts with panelist-level transparency
- One unified source across macro, commodities, and country risk
- Structured, comparable datasets across countries
- Designed to support automation, scalability, and AI use cases
See how FocusEconomics supports your IFRS 9 model.
FAQ
The key question is whether your current provider gives you a multi-contributor Consensus with median, mean, minimum, and maximum outputs that can be referenced in audit documentation. Many providers offer single-source forecasts that may not satisfy neither the range-of-outcomes standard nor the independence standard. FocusEconomics is specifically structured to address both.
FocusEconomics covers 198+ countries, including frontier markets across Sub-Saharan Africa, MENA, and Latin America where most providers’ coverage is limited. If you want to check coverage for specific markets, book a call and we will show you exactly what is available.
Yes. Outputs are available in formats suitable for direct use, including Excel and API access via DataBank. Each variable is published with median, mean, minimum, and maximum outputs across contributing panelists, structured for baseline, upside, and downside scenario calibration.