France’s manufacturing business climate index rose to 102 in May 2026, compared with expectations and April’s 100. It also marked the highest reading in four months, driven mainly by a sharp rebound in past production, which jumped to 14 from 4, while overall order books improved to -14 from -15 and foreign order books rose to -10 from -12. Finished-goods inventories eased slightly to 13 from 14, though they remained elevated. Labour market signals were broadly stable, with past workforce size unchanged at -3 and expected workforce size edging down slightly to -2. Forward-looking production sentiment remained weak, however, with general production prospects steady at -17 and personal production prospects slipping to 4 from 6. Inflation pressures intensified further, as expected selling prices rose to 22 from 20, the highest in the series, suggesting continued pricing power among manufacturers. Economic uncertainty also remained elevated at 37, unchanged from April. source: INSEE, France

Business Confidence in France increased to 102.30 points in May from 100.40 points in April of 2026. Business Confidence in France averaged 100.01 points from 1976 until 2026, reaching an all time high of 125.20 points in June of 2000 and a record low of 65.70 points in March of 2009. This page provides the latest reported value for - France Business Confidence - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term prediction, economic calendar, survey consensus and news. France Business Confidence - data, historical chart, forecasts and calendar of releases - was last updated on June of 2026.

Business Confidence in France increased to 102.30 points in May from 100.40 points in April of 2026. Business Confidence in France is expected to be 97.00 points by the end of this quarter, according to Trading Economics global macro models and analysts expectations. In the long-term, the France Business Confidence is projected to trend around 99.00 points in 2027 and 102.00 points in 2028, according to our econometric models.



Calendar GMT Reference Actual Previous Consensus TEForecast
2026-04-23 06:45 AM
Business Confidence
Apr 100 99 99 98
2026-05-22 06:45 AM
Business Confidence
May 102 100 100 99
2026-06-23 06:45 AM
Business Confidence
Jun 102 97


Related Last Previous Unit Reference
Business Climate Indicator 94.00 94.00 points May 2026
Business Confidence 102.30 100.40 points May 2026
Capacity Utilization 76.95 76.89 percent Apr 2026
Changes in Inventories 3016.00 -3588.00 EUR Million Mar 2026
Industrial Production 2.80 1.30 percent Apr 2026
Industrial Production MoM 0.10 1.40 percent Apr 2026
Manufacturing Production 2.50 1.70 percent Apr 2026
Mining Production -0.20 -3.60 percent Apr 2026
New Orders -16.20 -18.20 points Apr 2026


France Business Confidence
In France, Business Climate measures industrial entrepreneurs’ sentiment about current business situation and expectation about business conditions. The survey sample comprises about 4,000 enterprises in the manufacturing and mining industries. The indicator is calculated using factor analysis technique. The index is then calculated in a way to measure the current sentiment in relation to the historic index values of the period 1993-2011. A value over 110 indicates unusually high optimism and a value under 90 indicates unusually high pessimism. The value 100 indicates neutrality.
Actual Previous Highest Lowest Dates Unit Frequency
102.30 100.40 125.20 65.70 1976 - 2026 points Monthly
SA

News Stream
France Manufacturing Sentiment Strengthens in May
France’s manufacturing business climate index rose to 102 in May 2026, compared with expectations and April’s 100. It also marked the highest reading in four months, driven mainly by a sharp rebound in past production, which jumped to 14 from 4, while overall order books improved to -14 from -15 and foreign order books rose to -10 from -12. Finished-goods inventories eased slightly to 13 from 14, though they remained elevated. Labour market signals were broadly stable, with past workforce size unchanged at -3 and expected workforce size edging down slightly to -2. Forward-looking production sentiment remained weak, however, with general production prospects steady at -17 and personal production prospects slipping to 4 from 6. Inflation pressures intensified further, as expected selling prices rose to 22 from 20, the highest in the series, suggesting continued pricing power among manufacturers. Economic uncertainty also remained elevated at 37, unchanged from April.
2026-05-22
France Manufacturing Sentiment Improves Slightly
France’s overall manufacturing business climate index edged up to 100 in April 2026 from 99 in March, slightly improving but still around its long-term average. Past production rebounded to 3 (vs –2 in March), while overall order books improved to –16 (vs –18), and foreign order books were stable at –13. Finished-goods inventories were unchanged at 14, remaining elevated. However, general production prospects deteriorated sharply to –18 (vs –10), marking a notable drop in forward-looking sentiment, while personal production prospects eased to 7 (vs 9). Labour conditions softened slightly, with past workforce size at –2 (vs –1) and expected workforce size slipping to –1 (vs 0). Inflation signals strengthened, as expected selling prices surged to 19 (vs 10), the highest since March 2023, indicating rising cost pressures across sectors. Economic uncertainty also jumped to 38 (vs 31), well above its long-term average, highlighting heightened business caution despite mixed activity signals.
2026-04-23
France Manufacturing Confidence Falls in March
France’s overall manufacturing business climate fell to 99 in March 2026 from 102 in February, dipping below its long-term average and the market consensus of 100. Past production dropped sharply to –4 (vs 3 in February), while overall order books weakened further to –19 (vs –17) and foreign order books fell to –14 (vs –8), highlighting declining demand. Personal production prospects eased to 8 (vs 10) and general production prospects fell further to –9 (vs –6). Finished-goods inventories rose to 14 (vs 9), reflecting slower sales, while economic uncertainty remained elevated at 31 (vs 32). Workforce balances improved slightly, with expected size turning neutral (vs –2)., and expected selling prices jumped to 9 (vs 5), signaling inflationary pressures. Sub-sector performance was uneven, with food manufacturing rebounding modestly, machinery and equipment holding steady, while transport equipment and other manufacturing remained weak.
2026-03-26