The various mechanisms that, taken together, explain the low level of long-term interest rates
Since the spring of 2021, long-term interest rates have fallen again (we look at the United States and the euro zone) despite the economic recovery and rising inflation. This fall in long-term interest rates can be explained by: The end of the rise in expected inflation, with the finding that wages are not accelerating for the time being; The continued increase in the size of central banks’ balance sheets; Increased risk perception, linked in particular to the ongoing COVID pandemic, which has led investors to switch from risky assets to risk-free bonds; The existence of very high savings accumulated by households, part of which can be invested in bonds.