[Reuters Survey: ECB's 2% Interest Rate Expected to Persist Throughout the Year, Marking the Longest Stable Rate Period Since the Negative Interest Rate Era] Jin10 Data, February 12 – A Reuters survey shows that the European Central Bank (ECB) is expected to maintain a 2% deposit rate at least until the end of 2026, marking the longest period of stable rates since the negative interest rate era, despite ongoing geopolitical risks. January's inflation rate dropped to 1.7%, a 16-month low, prompting some policymakers to warn about an excessive slowdown in price growth and to urge the ECB to be prepared for action. However, the survey indicates that 66 out of 74 economists expect the ECB to hold rates steady at least until 2027, a forecast unchanged since last October. If this expectation materializes, the ECB's current period of rate stability will set a record for the longest since the end of the pre-pandemic negative interest rate era. Deutsche Bank economists noted: 'The baseline scenario is one of domestic resilience dominating and external vulnerabilities being controlled, allowing the ECB to hold steady. But to be fair, the uncertainty surrounding the monetary policy path is indeed very high.'