Czech Republic: Economic sentiment rises to a near ten-year high in April
The economic sentiment indicator, a composite confidence indicator published by the Czech Statistical Office (CSO), edged up from 99.7 points in March to 100.1 points in April, reflecting improved business confidence and marking the highest reading in nearly 10 years. As a result, the indicator now sits marginally above the 100-mark that separates optimism from pessimism in the Czech economy.
Business confidence rose from 97.0 points in March to 97.6 points in April, primarily due to more upbeat sentiment in the industry and service sectors. Sentiment in the trade and construction industries, meanwhile, was unchanged from the previous month.
Conversely, consumer confidence declined slightly from the prior month’s reading of 112.8 points to 112.5 points in April. The dip was mainly driven by consumers’ less optimistic view regarding the general economic situation in the next 12 months.