Business confidence; sector/branches 2008-2023

Business confidence is a sentiment indicator for the Dutch private sector, which indicates the direction in which the Dutch economy (gross domestic product, GDP) is expected to develop. When assessing the results, it can be assumed that the more optimistic or pessimistic the entrepreneurs are, the more the value of business confidence will deviate positively or negatively from the zero line and the greater the expectation is that the development of GDP will increase or decrease in the coming months. Business confidence in the total Dutch private sector is a weighted average of the confidence indicators of the underlying sectors/industries, which together form a representative reflection of the Dutch business community from a economic vieuwpoint. In addition to the quarterly series of business confidence, confidence indicators are also available on a monthly basis for the manufacturing industry and some underlying industries. These are published in a separate table under the name Producer confidence; sentiment indicator of manufacturing industry, branches. The results for the months of January, April, July and October correspond with the indicators manufacturing industry of Business confidence in quarters 1, 2, 3 and 4 respectively.

Data available from: 4th quarter 2008 - 2nd quarter 2023.

Changes as of July 27, 2023: This table has been discontinued. The reason for this is the renewed method for calculating the business confidence.

When will new figures be published? Does not apply. This table is followed by Business confidence; to sector/branches (active on August 15, 2023). See paragraph 3.

Statistics Netherlands is currently working on adjustments to the definition of the Business Confidence indicator. The aim is to improve the comparability between industries and between regional and national figures. The adjustments will come into effect when the results for the third quarter of 2023 are published. More information will follow at www.cbs.nl.