Belgium Business Pessimism Deepens

2026-04-24 13:40 By Larissa Caser 1 min. read

Belgium's business confidence indicator declined to -14.2 points in April 2026, down from -13.7 points both in February and January, marking the lowest sentiment in a year.

Against market expectations of a slight increase, sentiment lowered in most sectors.

Confidence in building work dropped (-15.7 versus -11.7), reflecting slightly weaker order books alongside a sharp rise in price expectations.

In the business services sector, confidence continued its downward trend (-11.6 versus -6.3) as demand expectations weakened.

Similarly, trade sentiment declined (-14.8 versus -10.9), driven by a poorer assessment of stock levels and rising price trends.

In contrast, manufacturing confidence edged up (-14.4 versus -16.1), supported by improved stock assessments and a more favorable trend in domestic orders.



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Belgium Business Pessimism Deepens
Belgium's business confidence indicator declined to -14.2 points in April 2026, down from -13.7 points both in February and January, marking the lowest sentiment in a year. Against market expectations of a slight increase, sentiment lowered in most sectors. Confidence in building work dropped (-15.7 versus -11.7), reflecting slightly weaker order books alongside a sharp rise in price expectations. In the business services sector, confidence continued its downward trend (-11.6 versus -6.3) as demand expectations weakened. Similarly, trade sentiment declined (-14.8 versus -10.9), driven by a poorer assessment of stock levels and rising price trends. In contrast, manufacturing confidence edged up (-14.4 versus -16.1), supported by improved stock assessments and a more favorable trend in domestic orders.
2026-04-24
Belgium's Business Confidence Remains Subdued in March
Belgium's business confidence indicator remained subdued at -13.7 points in March 2026, unchanged from February and better than the -14.1 forecast. In the building industry, confidence fell 4.6 points to -11.7 as business leaders assessed total order books more negatively and expected demand to decline faster. Business-related services saw confidence decline for the fourth straight month, down 2.0 points to -6.3, with leaders viewing current activity more favorably but future prospects considerably more pessimistically. Manufacturing confidence remained near its low level last month, edging up 1.0 point to -17.1, with stock levels assessed somewhat more positively. The trade sector rose sharply, rising 7.0 points to -10.9, driven by substantial improvement in demand expectations.
2026-03-25
Belgium's Business Sentiment Deteriorates Broadly in February
Belgium's business confidence indicator fell 4.9 points to -13.7 in February 2025, down from -8.8 in the prior month and missing forecasts of -7.5. The trade sector recorded the sharpest deterioration, with its index plunging to -17.9 from -5.6, as expectations and order forecasts to suppliers slumped sharply. In the manufacturing industry, confidence weakened to -17.1 from -11.0, with all sub-components declining amid a significant deterioration in assessments of total order books. Business-related services posted a third consecutive monthly drop, with the index slipping to -4.3 from -2.7. The building industry confidence was nearly unchanged at -7.1 from -6.8.
2026-02-23