Belgium Economic Outlook
March 26, 2019
Comprehensive fourth-quarter national accounts confirmed sluggish but stable growth last year, although the late-year expansion landed short of analysts’ expectations. Fourth-quarter growth was almost entirely thanks to fixed investment, which shot up on significantly stronger business investment, as well as on housing investment. Household spending, however, dipped in line with dwindling consumer confidence and despite tightness in the labor market, while export growth slowed amid the broader Eurozone cool-off, especially in Germany and in France. Available current-quarter data has been downbeat, with economic sentiment firmly in the red in the run-up to federal elections to be held this May. Opinion polls show that the previous center-right government will struggle to hold onto power amid popular support for a patchwork of other parties, throwing the fate of earlier economic reforms in the air.Belgium Economic Growth
Belgium’s highly-open economy will be put to the test this year amid a more uncertain Eurozone backdrop, with any escalation of trade conflicts likely to bruise exports. Household spending, however, is set to get a boost from recent wage-indexing measures and lower energy costs, while fixed investment should continue to benefit from cheap financing and capacity constraints. FocusEconomics analysts project growth of 1.3% in 2019, which is down 0.1 percentage points from last month’s forecast, and also 1.3% in 2020.Belgium Economy Data
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Belgium Facts
| Value | Change | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bond Yield | 0.46 | 0.15 % | Apr 19 |
| Exchange Rate | 1.13 | 0.65 % | Apr 22 |
| Stock Market | 3,852 | -0.23 % | Apr 18 |
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Belgium Economic News
Belgium: Industrial output accelerates in February
April 25, 2019
Industrial output increased 6.5% on an annual basis in February, up from a 4.4% increase in January.
Belgium: Economic sentiment reverses course in April
April 24, 2019
The consumer confidence indicator produced by the National Bank of Belgium (NBB) dipped 1.0 point in April to minus 7.0 points.
Belgium: Economic sentiment improves in March
March 25, 2019
The consumer confidence indicator produced by the National Bank of Belgium (NBB) edged up by 1.0 point in March to minus 6.0 points.
Belgium: Fixed investment underpins tepid growth in Q4 2018
February 28, 2019
Belgium’s economy grew 0.3% quarter-on-quarter and in seasonally-adjusted terms in the fourth quarter of last year (Q3 2018: +0.3% quarter-on-quarter s.a.), according to a comprehensive estimate released by the National Bank of Belgium (NBB) on 28 February.
Belgium: Industrial output stagnates in December
February 25, 2019
Industrial output increased 0.2% on an annual basis in December, down from November’s 3.7% increase.
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