There is an array of economic indicators- qualitative and quantifiable ones that impact of how a an economy is likely to fare in the future. There are multiple sources for the same indicator as well, especially when modeling and expectations are involved. The one indicator that is most crucial is inflation rates . This is because most central banks follow inflation targeting of some form to guide them on setting interest rates. Such rates are the bedrock of economic activity and therefore a good indicator of the expected direction of an economy. For analysis it is prudent to co wider different types of inflation rates to form an app ion - core inflation, producer inflation CPI, WPI, rural and urban inflation are some forms of inflation that need to be considered.