Central bank calendar 2026: policy meeting schedules & important features

Federal Reserve – Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) 2026 Calendar

The U.S. Federal Reserve’s FOMC meets eight times in 2026. Meetings in March, June, September, and December include the Summary of Economic Projections (SEP) and the “dot‑plot” of federal‑funds‑rate projections at federalreserve.gov. These meetings are usually accompanied by a press conference. The FOMC’s dual mandate focuses on maximum employment and stable inflation; the committee currently emphasizes data‑dependent policy and has been navigating the post‑pandemic inflation surge.

The FOMC’s 2026 schedule includes eight meetings. The January 27–28 meeting is a regular meeting with a policy decision and press conference. The March 17–18, June 16–17, September 15–16, and December 8–9 meetings are the key market-sensitive ones, because they include the Summary of Economic Projections (SEP) and the dot plot. The remaining meetings—April 28–29, July 28–29, and October 27–28—are regular meetings.

• Jan 27–28, 2026: Regular meeting — policy decision and press conference.
• Mar 17–18, 2026: SEP & dot plot — quarterly economic projections released; highly market-sensitive.
• Apr 28–29, 2026: Regular meeting.
• Jun 16–17, 2026: SEP & dot plot.
• Jul 28–29, 2026: Regular meeting.
• Sep 15–16, 2026: SEP & dot plot.
• Oct 27–28, 2026: Regular meeting.
• Dec 8–9, 2026: SEP & dot plot.

FOMC 2026 Review:

After delivering aggressive rate increases in 2022–2023 to contain high inflation, the FOMC began moderating the pace of increases. By early 2026, the committee is expected to evaluate whether policy is sufficiently restrictive to bring inflation back to the 2 % goal. Market participants focus on SEP meetings because the dot‑plot reveals policymakers’ interest‑rate expectations, and the economic projections provide guidance on growth, unemployment, and inflation.

European Central Bank (ECB) 2026 Calendar

The ECB’s Governing Council holds monetary policy meetings roughly every six weeks. Press conferences follow each meeting, and the staff macroeconomic projections – which update the euro‑area outlook for growth, inflation, and fiscal assumptions – are released four times a year (March, June, September, and December). In 2026, the ECB is navigating the tail‑end of its inflation shock and unwinding its quantitative easing programmes.

The ECB’s 2026 policy calendar includes eight meetings. The year begins with the February 4–5 meeting, followed by a press conference on February 5. The main market-moving meetings are those with ECB staff projections—March 18–19, June 10–11, September 9–10, and December 16–17—each accompanied by a press conference, and with the September meeting hosted by the Deutsche Bundesbank. The remaining meetings—April 29–30, July 22–23, and October 28–29—are regular policy meetings.

• Feb 4–5, 2026: Monetary policy meeting; press conference on Feb 5.
• Mar 18–19, 2026: Staff projections (March) released; press conference.
• Apr 29–30, 2026: Regular policy meeting.
• Jun 10–11, 2026: Staff projections (June) released; press conference.
• Jul 22–23, 2026: Regular policy meeting.
• Sep 9–10, 2026: Hosted by Deutsche Bundesbank; staff projections (September).
• Oct 28–29, 2026: Regular policy meeting.
• Dec 16–17, 2026: Staff projections (December) released; press conference.

ECB 2026 Review:

The ECB’s primary mandate is price stability (defined as 2 % inflation). After raising the deposit rate above 4 % in 2023–2024, the Governing Council aims to ensure inflation converges to the target while monitoring fragmentation risks across euro‑area countries. The quarterly projections are pivotal because they feed into the Governing Council’s assessment of medium‑term inflation and determine whether further tightening or easing is warranted.

Bank of England (BoE) 2026 Calendar

The BoE’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meets eight times per year, roughly every six weeks. Meetings in February, May, August, and November coincide with the Monetary Policy Report (MPR), which provides updated economic forecasts and policy guidance. The MPC’s remit is to achieve 2 % inflation while supporting government growth and employment objectives.

The Bank of England’s 2026 MPC calendar includes eight meetings. The key “high-signal” meetings are those that include the Monetary Policy Report: February 5, April 30, July 30, and November 5—each paired with the policy decision and typically carrying higher market sensitivity due to updated forecasts and guidance. The remaining meetings—March 19, June 18, September 17, and December 17—are regular MPC decisions, with minutes released after the decision.

• Feb 5, 2026: MPC decision and Monetary Policy Report.
• Mar 19, 2026: Regular meeting (minutes released after the decision).
• Apr 30, 2026: Monetary Policy Report and decision.
• Jun 18, 2026: Regular meeting.
• Jul 30, 2026: Monetary Policy Report meeting.
• Sep 17, 2026: Regular meeting.
• Nov 5, 2026: Monetary Policy Report and decision.
• Dec 17, 2026: Regular meeting.

BoE 2026 Review:

With inflation still above the 2 % target but falling, the MPC is expected to balance tightness in labour markets against weak growth. The quarterly Monetary Policy Report includes updated projections for GDP, inflation, and the unemployment rate, and often signals the committee’s policy bias. Markets therefore pay close attention to the February, May, August,t and November meetings.

Bank of Japan (BoJ) 2026 Calendar

The BoJ’s Monetary Policy Meeting (MPM) schedule for 2026 comprises eight two‑day meetings. The Outlook for Economic Activity and Prices (the so‑called Outlook Report) is released after the January, April, July, and October meetings. This report contains the BoJ’s medium‑term forecasts for GDP and inflation and influences expectations for any adjustment to its yield‑curve‑control policy.

The Bank of Japan’s 2026 Monetary Policy Meeting (MPM) calendar includes eight meetings. The higher-importance meetings are those that include the Outlook Report—January 22–23, April 27–28, July 30–31, and October 29–30, because they typically deliver updated forecasts and policy guidance. The remaining meetings—March 18–19, June 15–16, September 17–18, and December 17–18—are regular meetings.

• Jan 22–23, 2026: MPM; Outlook Report released.
• Mar 18–19, 2026: Regular meeting.
• Apr 27–28, 2026: MPM with Outlook Report.
• Jun 15–16, 2026: Regular meeting.
• Jul 30–31, 2026: Outlook Report meeting.
• Sep 17–18, 2026: Regular meeting.
• Oct 29–30, 2026: MPM with Outlook Report.
• Dec 17–18, 2026: Regular meeting.

BoJ 2026 Review:

The BoJ’s ultra‑easy policy and yield‑curve‑control framework were under review after inflation reached multi‑decade highs. By 2026, markets expect gradual policy normalization, making the four meetings accompanied by the Outlook Report critical for guidance on inflation and economic forecasts. The BoJ also publishes minutes and a summary of opinions weeks after each meeting.

Swiss National Bank (SNB) 2026 Calendar

The SNB holds monetary policy assessments quarterly (March, June, September, and December). At each assessment,t the Governing Board announces the policy rate and publishes an updated conditional inflation forecast for the Swiss economy. Press conferences follow the March and June assessments.

The Swiss National Bank (SNB) has four scheduled policy assessments in 2026. The March 19 and June 18 assessments each include a policy decision and a news conference. The September 24 assessment is typically one of the more important checkpoints, as it includes updated forecasts alongside the monetary policy assessment. The year concludes with the December 10 monetary policy assessment.

• Mar 19, 2026: Policy assessment and news conference.
• Jun 18, 2026: Policy assessment and news conference.
• Sep 24, 2026: Monetary policy assessment (forecasts updated).
• Dec 10, 2026: Monetary policy assessment.

SNB 2026 Review:

The SNB’s mandate is price stability while supporting economic activity. It intervenes in foreign‑exchange markets to manage the Swiss franc and uses the policy rate and sight‑deposit rate as its primary tools. Investors watch the quarterly conditional inflation forecast and statements for hints about FX interventions and rate direction.

Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) 2026 Calendar

The RBA’s board meets eight times in 2026. The Statement on Monetary Policy – which contains the bank’s forecasts for GDP growth, unemployment, and inflation – is published quarterly at the meetings in February, May, August, and November

The Reserve Bank of Australia’s 2026 board calendar includes eight meetings. The higher-importance meetings are those accompanied by the Statement on Monetary Policy—February 2–3, May 4–5, August 10–11, and November 2–3—because they provide updated forecasts and a fuller policy narrative. The remaining meetings—March 16–17, June 15–16, September 28–29, and December 7–8—are regular policy meetings.

• Feb 2–3, 2026: Policy meeting; Statement on Monetary Policy released.
• Mar 16–17, 2026: Regular meeting.
• May 4–5, 2026: Statement on Monetary Policy meeting.
• Jun 15–16, 2026: Regular meeting.
• Aug 10–11, 2026: Statement on Monetary Policy meeting.
• Sep 28–29, 2026: Regular meeting.
• Nov 2–3, 2026: Statement on Monetary Policy meeting.
• Dec 7–8, 2026: Regular meeting.

RBA 2026 Review:

The RBA’s flexible inflation‑targeting framework aims for inflation between 2 % and 3 % on average. After hiking rates aggressively through 2023–24, the board in early 2026 is expected to maintain a restrictive stance until inflation returns to target. Markets pay special attention to the Statement on Monetary Policy meetings because they include updated economic forecasts and the governor’s quarterly press conference.

Bank of Canada (BoC) 2026 Calendar

The BoC publishes an annual schedule of eight policy interest rate announcements. The Monetary Policy Report (MPR), which offers detailed projections for growth and inflation, is released concurrently with the January, April, July, and October announcements.

The Bank of Canada’s 2026 schedule includes eight rate announcements. The higher-importance meetings are those paired with the Monetary Policy Report (MPR)—January 28, April 29, July 15, and October 28—because they deliver updated forecasts and a more comprehensive policy narrative. The remaining announcements—March 18, June 10, September 2, and December 9—are standard rate decisions without an MPR.

• Jan 28, 2026: Rate announcement and Monetary Policy Report.
• Mar 18, 2026: Rate announcement (no MPR).
• Apr 29, 2026: Rate announcement and Monetary Policy Report.
• Jun 10, 2026: Rate announcement.
• Jul 15, 2026: Rate announcement and Monetary Policy Report.
• Sep 2, 2026: Rate announcement.
• Oct 28, 2026: Rate announcement and Monetary Policy Report.
• Dec 9, 2026: Rate announcement.

BoC 2026 Review:

The BoC targets 2 % CPI inflation and operates an “inflation‑control range” of 1–3 %. It was among the first major central banks to end its hiking cycle in 2023. Markets will watch the four MPR meetings for updated forecasts and guidance on when the bank might begin easing. The other meetings focus on tactical adjustments.

Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) 2026 Calendar

The RBNZ’s Monetary Policy Committee makes seven scheduled decisions each year. Four are Monetary Policy Statements (MPS) with full economic projections, press conferences, and “live‑streamed” OCR announcements; three are shorter Monetary Policy Reviews (MPR) that update the official cash rate (OCR) without publishing full projections. The bank also publishes a Financial Stability Report (FSR) twice a year. Official event listings for 2026 show the following schedule:

The Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) has a mix of policy and financial-stability events in 2026. The key market-moving dates are the quarterly Monetary Policy Statements (MPS) with the OCR decision and full economic projections—February 17, May 26, September 1, and December 8. In between, the RBNZ holds shorter Monetary Policy Reviews with OCR decisions and more limited commentary on April 7, July 7, and October 27. Separately, the RBNZ publishes its Financial Stability Report (FSR) twice—May 5 and November 10—providing the central bank’s assessment of risks to the financial system.

Dot points version

• Feb 17, 2026: Monetary Policy Statement + OCR — quarterly MPS with full projections; OCR decision.
• Apr 7, 2026: Monetary Policy Review + OCR — shorter meeting; OCR decision with limited commentary.
• May 5, 2026: Financial Stability Report (May) — semi-annual assessment of financial-system risks.
• May 26, 2026: Monetary Policy Statement + OCR — quarterly MPS with projections.
• Jul 7, 2026: Monetary Policy Review + OCR — short review meeting.
• Sep 1, 2026: Monetary Policy Statement + OCR — quarterly MPS.
• Oct 27, 2026: Monetary Policy Review + OCR — short review meeting.
• Nov 10, 2026: Financial Stability Report (Nov) — second semi-annual assessment of financial-system risks.
• Dec 8, 2026: Monetary Policy Statement + OCR — final 2026 MPS with projections.

RBNZ 2026 Review:

The RBNZ’s mandate targets price stability and supports maximum sustainable employment. After raising the OCR to multi‑year highs, the committee is expected to hold rates high through 2026 to curb domestic inflation. Because the RBNZ releases full forecasts only at MPS meetings, markets focus on February, May, September, and December announcements; the reviews (April, July, October) are usually less market‑moving unless data have changed significantly.

People’s Bank of China (PBoC) 2026 Calendar

Unlike its peers, the PBoC does not publish a fixed schedule of interest‑rate announcements. The bank’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) holds plenary meetings quarterly, and the chairman or one‑third of the members may call interim meetings. Instead of setting a single policy rate, the PBoC manages liquidity through reserve‑requirement changes, open‑market operations, and lending facilities. The benchmark loan prime rate (LPR) is set monthly (typically on the 20th of each month), based on quotes from commercial banks, and is the reference rate for most loans.

China’s PBoC calendar is less “event-scheduled” than most major central banks, because many key actions are operational and not pre-announced. The PBoC holds quarterly Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meetings (dates typically not published in advance) to discuss money supply, reserve-requirement settings, and interest-rate guidance, with minutes forwarded to the State Council. Markets also focus on the monthly Loan Prime Rate (LPR) fixing, usually around the 20th of each month, when commercial banks submit quotations and the PBoC publishes the 1-year and 5-year LPRs used as reference rates for corporate lending and mortgages. In addition, liquidity conditions are heavily shaped by open-market and MLF operations conducted on multiple dates each month on an ad hoc basis (e.g., reverse repos and medium-term lending facility).

• Quarterly MPC meetings (dates not pre-announced): Policy discussions on money supply, reserve ratios, and interest-rate guidance; minutes forwarded to the State Council.
• Monthly LPR (around the 20th each month): Banks submit quotations; PBoC publishes 1-year and 5-year LPR reference rates for corporate loans and mortgages.
• Open-market/MLF operations (ad hoc): Regular liquidity operations on multiple dates each month (e.g., reverse repos, MLF).

PBoC 2026 Review:

The PBoC operates a hybrid monetary‑policy framework where market interest rates are guided rather than directly set. Since 2022, the bank has adopted a pro‑growth bias, cutting the LPR and the reserve‑requirement ratio to support the slowing Chinese economy. Market participants therefore monitor monthly LPR announcements, quarterly MPC statements, and any unexpected adjustments to reserve ratios or lending facilities. Without a pre‑announced calendar, the timing of policy changes can surprise markets.

Banco Central do Brasil (BCB) 2026 Calendar

Brazil’s Monetary Policy Committee (Copom) meets eight times per year, with each meeting spanning two days. Minutes are published a week later, and the Monetary Policy Report is released quarterly after the meetings that end each quarter. The BCB’s calendar shows the following 2026 schedule:

Brazil’s central bank (BCB) Copom holds eight scheduled meetings in 2026 to set the Selic rate, with minutes published about a week later. After the March 16–17 meeting, minutes are released on March 24; after April 27–28 on May 5; after June 15–16 on June 23; after August 3–4 on August 11; after September 14–15 on September 22; after November 2–3 on November 10; and after December 7–8 on December 15. In addition, the BCB publishes Quarterly Monetary Policy Reports after the March, June, September, and December meetings, providing updated macro projections and deeper policy analysis—these are typically the higher-importance checkpoints for markets.

• Jan 26–27, 2026: Copom meeting (Day 1 & Day 2) — sets the Selic rate.
• Mar 16–17, 2026: Copom meeting; minutes released Mar 24.
• Apr 27–28, 2026: Copom meeting; minutes released May 5.
• Jun 15–16, 2026: Copom meeting; minutes released Jun 23.
• Aug 3–4, 2026: Copom meeting; minutes released Aug 11.
• Sep 14–15, 2026: Copom meeting; minutes released Sep 22.
• Nov 2–3, 2026: Copom meeting; minutes released Nov 10.
• Dec 7–8, 2026: Copom meeting; minutes released Dec 15.
• Quarterly Monetary Policy Reports: Published after the March, June, September, and December meetings — include macro projections and policy analysis (typically the most market-relevant releases).

BCB 2026 Review:

The BCB was among the first major emerging‑market central banks to raise rates aggressively in response to the 2021–22 global inflation surge. By late 2023, it began cutting the Selic rate as inflation moderated. In 202,6 the committee is expected to continue easing cautiously, balancing lower inflation against fiscal risks. The quarterly Monetary Policy Reports are key for understanding the bank’s longer‑term outlook and the expected Selic path.

Summary

In 2026, the major central banks maintain regular meeting schedules, but the importance of each meeting varies. Projection meetings (FOMC SEP meetings, ECB projection meetings, BoE Monetary Policy Reports, BoJ Outlook Report meetings, RBA Statements on Monetary Policy, BoC Monetary Policy Reports, and RBNZ Monetary Policy Statements) include detailed forecasts and are typically more market‑moving. Emerging‑market institutions like the PBoC and BCB operate with different degrees of transparency; the PBoC does not publish a fixed calendar and relies on monthly LPR announcements, while the BCB follows a predictable eight‑meeting cycle with minutes and quarterly reports. Understanding these calendars helps investors anticipate periods of heightened volatility and align their strategies with central‑bank communication.