Sweden Business Mood Stays Firm Despite Downturn

2026-02-26 08:12 By Joshua Ferrer 1 min. read

Sweden’s business confidence barometer fell for the second consecutive month to 104.7 in February 2026 from a slightly downwardly revised 106.3 in the previous month, but remained above the 100 level, indicating stronger-than-normal sentiment.

Still, the decline was mainly driven by softer confidence in the manufacturing sector.

Companies’ assessment of overall demand was largely unchanged from January (at -25) and remained weaker than usual, though trade stood out, with sales conditions seen at normal levels.

Employment fell more than typically seen over the past three months (-6 vs -7 in January), yet firms expect hiring to pick up moderately in the quarter ahead (5 vs 6), particularly in construction.

Meanwhile, most businesses anticipate raising selling prices in the next three months (12 vs 14), except for retailers, which have sharply scaled back their pricing expectations.



News Stream
Sweden Business Mood Stays Firm Despite Downturn
Sweden’s business confidence barometer fell for the second consecutive month to 104.7 in February 2026 from a slightly downwardly revised 106.3 in the previous month, but remained above the 100 level, indicating stronger-than-normal sentiment. Still, the decline was mainly driven by softer confidence in the manufacturing sector. Companies’ assessment of overall demand was largely unchanged from January (at -25) and remained weaker than usual, though trade stood out, with sales conditions seen at normal levels. Employment fell more than typically seen over the past three months (-6 vs -7 in January), yet firms expect hiring to pick up moderately in the quarter ahead (5 vs 6), particularly in construction. Meanwhile, most businesses anticipate raising selling prices in the next three months (12 vs 14), except for retailers, which have sharply scaled back their pricing expectations.
2026-02-26
Sweden Business Confidence Wanes But Still Elevated
Sweden’s business confidence barometer eased to 106.4 in January 2026 from a 3-1/2-year high of 107.4 in December, ending a six-month sequence of improvements while continuing to indicate elevated sentiment. Confidence fell noticeably in construction (97.6 vs 99.9 in November), explained by more pessimistic employment plans, while the other sectors only saw small decreases. The confidence indicator for the trade sector fell slightly to 109.6 from 110.2 but is still the highest in the survey. Sentiment in manufacturing (103.6 vs 103.8) remains stronger than normal but was dampened by a more pessimistic assessment of the size of the order book. Confidence among service providers declined (105.3 vs 106.1) mainly due to a less optimistic outlook for demand for firms’ services over the coming three months.
2026-01-29
Sweden Business Confidence at 3 ½-Year High
Sweden’s business confidence barometer strengthened to 107.4 in December 2025 from a downwardly revised 105.5 in the previous month. This marked the sixth consecutive month of increase and the highest reading since June 2022, driven by stronger sentiment across all sectors. However, companies continue to report weak demand (-24 vs -26 in November), with trade the only sector where demand is in line with its historical average. Employment levels in the business sector have remained broadly unchanged over the past three months (-3 vs -4), consistent with historical norms, although firms expect to expand their workforce somewhat more than usual in the period ahead (7 vs 6). Meanwhile, businesses continue to expect above-normal increases in sales prices over the next three months (15 vs 14), with these expectations largely unchanged since June 2025.
2025-12-19