Belgium: Economic sentiment hits a near three-year high but remains downbeat in June
Latest reading: Economic sentiment rose to 97.6 in June from May’s 95.7. June’s result marked the best reading since July 2022. Consequently, the index remained below the long-term average of 100, pointing to a muted near-term outlook for the economy.
The headline print reflected renewed confidence among services providers plus healthier sentiment in the construction and retail sectors. Moreover, consumer sentiment strengthened. Still, sentiment in the retail sector softened in the surveyed month.
Considering indicators that are not used to calculate the index, employment expectations were healthier, while the economic uncertainty index decreased in June.