Belgium: Economic sentiment rises in May
Latest reading: Economic sentiment jumped to 95.6 in May from April’s 87.8. May’s result marked the best performance since June 2024. That said, the index remained below the long-term average of 100, pointing to a muted near-term outlook for the economy.
The headline print reflected healthier sentiment in the industrial and retail sectors plus stronger confidence in the services sector and among consumers. However, May marked dampened sentiment in the construction sector.
Considering indicators that are not used to calculate the index, employment expectations improved, while the economic uncertainty index rose in May.