Belgium's business confidence improved more than economists expected in May after staying virtually unchanged in the previous month, data released by the National Bank of Belgium showed Friday.
The business confidence index dropped to -12.4 in May from -14.7 in April. Economists had forecast a reading of -14.
Confidence improved in the manufacturing industry for the second month in a row, helped by a more favorable assessment of stock levels and a brighter outlook for employment.
Sentiment improved more markedly in business-related services, with both the recent level of activity and expectations about business activity and general market demand turning more positive.
The building industry recovered considerably during the month, helped by more intensive use of equipment and a favorable development of both the trend in and level of order books.
For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com
Economic News
What parts of the world are seeing the best (and worst) economic performances lately? Click here to check out our Econ Scorecard and find out! See up-to-the-moment rankings for the best and worst performers in GDP, unemployment rate, inflation and much more.
June 12, 2026 17:14 ET Major central bank action was the focus this week in economic news. The European Central Bank became the first major central bank to move in response to the rising inflationary pressures in the backdrop of the conflict in the Middle East. In North America, the U.S. inflation and trade data as well as Canada’s central bank decision gained attention. The Chinese trade data was the main news in Asia.