Dutch Business Confidence Strongest Since 2022

2026-08-28 04:46 By Kyrie Dichosa 1 min. read

Business confidence in the Dutch manufacturing sector rose to 3.7 in August 2026 from 2.4 in July, reaching its strongest reading since July 2022.

Sentiment improved as expectations for business activity strengthened to 17.4 from 13.5, while order book assessments improved to -3.2 from -3.8.

Meanwhile, inventory assessments edged lower to -3.1 from -2.4, indicating slightly less favorable views of stock levels.

Across sectors, sentiment improved notably in food and beverages (1.4 vs. -1.9), wood and building materials (1.6 vs. -3.4), and paper and graphic products (3.2 vs. 1.4).

Confidence also strengthened in refining and chemicals (0.1 vs. -2.4) and remained broadly stable in electrical engineering and machinery (15.9 vs. 15.6), while sentiment deteriorated in transport equipment (-0.7 vs. 2.4) and other manufacturing and repair (-3.1 vs. 0.0).



News Stream
Dutch Business Confidence Strongest Since 2022
Business confidence in the Dutch manufacturing sector rose to 3.7 in August 2026 from 2.4 in July, reaching its strongest reading since July 2022. Sentiment improved as expectations for business activity strengthened to 17.4 from 13.5, while order book assessments improved to -3.2 from -3.8. Meanwhile, inventory assessments edged lower to -3.1 from -2.4, indicating slightly less favorable views of stock levels. Across sectors, sentiment improved notably in food and beverages (1.4 vs. -1.9), wood and building materials (1.6 vs. -3.4), and paper and graphic products (3.2 vs. 1.4). Confidence also strengthened in refining and chemicals (0.1 vs. -2.4) and remained broadly stable in electrical engineering and machinery (15.9 vs. 15.6), while sentiment deteriorated in transport equipment (-0.7 vs. 2.4) and other manufacturing and repair (-3.1 vs. 0.0).
2026-08-28
Dutch Manufacturing Confidence at 4-Year High
Business confidence in the Dutch manufacturing sector rose to 2.4 in July 2026, the highest level in four years, from 1.3 in the previous month. Sentiment improved as order book assessments rose to -3.8 from -7.0, while inventory assessments strengthened to -2.4 from -3.5 in June. Meanwhile, expectations for business activity became less optimistic, falling to 13.5 from 14.5, though they continued to signal a positive near-term production outlook. Across sectors, sentiment improved broadly, with gains recorded in wood and building materials (-3.4 vs. -6.5) and base metal and metal products (-3.0 vs. -3.3). Sentiment also turned positive in paper and graphic products (1.4 vs. -6.5) and strengthened further in electrical engineering and machinery (15.6 vs. 9.7).
2026-07-31
Dutch Manufacturing Confidence Hits Near 3-Year High
Business confidence in the Dutch manufacturing sector rose to 1.3 in June 2026, rebounding from -2.0 in the previous month. This marked the strongest reading since August 2022, as expectations for business activity became more optimistic, rising to 14.5 from 4.6, signaling a stronger near-term production outlook, while inventory assessments increased to -3.5 from -5.2. On the other hand, order book assessments deteriorated to -7.0 from -5.6 in May. Across sectors, sentiment improved broadly, with gains in food and beverages (-1.7 vs -3.0), textiles, clothing, and leather (-2.4 vs -2.9), and refineries and chemicals (-1.9 vs -3.7), while base metals and metal products (3.3 vs -4.1) and electrical engineering and machinery (9.7 vs -0.9) returned to positive territory.
2026-06-29