Explanation:

 A shortfall is the amount by which a financial obligation or liability exceeds the amount of cash that is available. A shortfall can be temporary in nature, arising out of a unique set of circumstances, or it can be persistent, in which case it may indicate poor financial management practices. Regardless of the nature of a shortfall, it is a significant concern for a country and is usually corrected promptly through short-term loans or equity injections.

Investment and saving slowdowns are defined using a specific set of conditions (filters). First, a “shortfall” is defined as the difference between (a) the average of investment (saving) in the slowdown year and subsequent two years; and (b) the average of the previous five years.

Then, a “slowdown year” is defined as one where the shortfall in that year exceeds a certain threshold. If there are two or more consecutive slowdown years, this counts as a “slowdown episode”. Second: the average investment rate for the 5 years prior to the slowdown year is at least 15 percent of GDP.