ECB policy rate

The European Central Bank’s policy rate is the most important price in capital markets: it sets what banks pay for central-bank money and feeds through to deposit rates, mortgages, bond yields and equity valuations. Three rates matter in practice — the main refinancing rate (the headline policy rate), the deposit facility rate at which banks park excess cash, and €STR as the actual overnight interbank rate.

ECB main refinancing rate 2.65 %
ECB deposit facility rate 2.50 %
€STR (euro short-term rate) 2.19 %

As of 16 September 2026 · series since 1999-01-01 (7090 observations) · change vs previous +0.25.

All-time high4.50 %
All-time low0.00 %
Data starts1999-01-01
Frequencydaily

Data note 1

History by year

Year-end values
YearECB main refinancing rateECB deposit facility rate€STR (euro short-term rate)
20262.652.502.19
20252.152.001.92
20243.153.002.90
20234.504.003.88
20222.502.001.89
20210.00-0.50-0.59
20200.00-0.50-0.58
20190.00-0.50-0.53
20180.00-0.40
20170.00-0.40
20160.00-0.40
20150.05-0.30
20140.05-0.20
20130.250.00
20120.750.00
20111.000.25
20101.000.25
20091.000.25
20082.502.00
20004.253.75
19993.002.00

Relationship with equity markets

Correlation of changes, not of levels. Two series that both trend for years correlate almost perfectly in levels without any relationship following from it. Values near 0 mean no discernible co-movement.

Correlations
SeriesStrongest relationships
€STR (euro short-term rate)Dow Jones +0.03 n=540 · MSCI EMU +0.03 n=524 · MSCI Japan +0.03 n=524
Based on daily changes

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