Eurozone Economic Sentiment Improves for Second Month

The Eurozone Economic Sentiment Indicator rose for a second consecutive month to 95.0 in June 2026, moving further from April’s five-year low and surpassing market expectations of 94.3, as businesses and consumers continued to evaluate the economic impact of the Iran war amid ongoing US-Iran peace negotiations. Sectoral confidence showed mixed trends: service providers (3.2 vs. 2.6 in May), retailers (-9.7 vs. -10.9), consumers (-17.7 vs. -19.0), and manufacturers (-7.7 vs. -7.9) saw slight improvements, while confidence among constructors worsened (-4.5 vs. -3.9). On inflation, consumer expectations fell to 34.0 from 40.4, and manufacturers’ selling price expectations eased to 22.3 from 26.7. Among major Eurozone economies, the ESI increased significantly in the Netherlands (+4.1), Germany (+1.7), and Italy (+1.3), while Spain saw a modest rise (+0.7). France’s ESI remained broadly stable (-0.2).

The Eurozone Economic Sentiment Indicator (ESI) rose slightly to 93.5 in May 2026, remaining close to the over five-year low of 93.2 recorded in April but exceeding market expectations of 92.8. Sentiment stayed weak, reflecting mounting concerns over the economic outlook amid the escalating Iran conflict. Among sectors, confidence improved slightly for service providers (2.2 vs. 1.4 in April) and consumers (-19.0 vs. -20.6), but deteriorated further for manufacturers (-8.0 vs. -7.7), retailers (-10.9 vs. -10.0), and constructors (-3.6 vs. -2.8). On the pricing front, consumer inflation expectations fell to 40.5 from a four-year high of 48.8, while manufacturers’ selling price expectations eased to 27.4 from April’s over three-year high of 30.2. In the largest Eurozone economies, the ESI increased in Germany (+1.0) and France (+0.9), remained broadly stable in Italy (+0.1) and Spain (-0.1), and declined in the Netherlands (-0.9).

The Eurozone Economic Sentiment Indicator (ESI) fell for the third consecutive month to 93.0 in April 2026, hitting its lowest level since November 2020 and missing market expectations of 95.2, reflecting growing concerns over the economic outlook, driven by the escalating Iran war. Sentiment worsened across all sectors, with the sharpest drops among consumers (-20.6 vs. -16.4 in March), service providers (0.9 vs. 4.1), and retailers (-9.9 vs. -7.6). Confidence also dipped for manufacturers (-7.7 vs. -7.0) and constructors (-2.4 vs. -2.1). Among the largest EU economies, the ESI fell notably in Germany (-3.9), France (-3.0), Italy (-2.8), and the Netherlands (-2.5), while Spain saw a more modest decline (-0.9). On the pricing front, consumer inflation expectations rose 5.6 points to 49.1, the highest level since April 2022, while manufacturers’ selling price expectations increased 10.2 points to an over three-year high of 31.1.