Economic Indicator
Statistical data about a country's economy such as figures on unemployment, the Consumer Price Index (CPI), Gross Domestic Product (GDP), money supply and housing starts. They give clues about the future direction of output and demand in an economy, prompting reaction from consumers, governments, companies and financial markets. Those that help predict future economic trends or activity are leading indicators, those published shortly after the activity they describe are coincident indicators and those published some time after the activity they relate to are lagging indicators.