Sweden's economic confidence deteriorated for the second successive month in May, contrary to economists' forecast for an improvement, indicating that growth in the Swedish economy is much weaker than normal, latest data showed Friday.
The headline economic confidence index dropped to 91.9 in May from 93.8 in April, marking the second consecutive decrease, the National Institute of Economic Research (NIER) said. Economists had forecast the index to rise to 94.5.
Driving the fall in overall confidence, the sub-indicator for the manufacturing sector slid to -15 in May from -9 in April. The index was forecast to improve to -8. The slump reflected generally weak new orders, and greater-than-normal dissatisfaction with order books.
Czech consumers were less upbeat about their finances and the economic situation. The relevant sub-index decreased to 3.6 from 5.2 in April. Economists were looking for an increase to 6.5.
However, the indicators for the retail trade and the private service sector did not change notably during the month, while there was a rise in the indicator for the building and civil engineering industry.
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June 05, 2026 16:18 ET A busy week for economic news flow saw a slew of reports being released that reflected the trends in the U.S. labor market. In Europe, economic growth and inflation data gained attention as the European Central Bank and Bank of England head for policy session later in the month. In Asia, the monetary policy session of the Indian central bank was in focus as the country, a major oil importer, reels under the pressures of a weaker rupee and rising inflation.