25.08.202613:11:13UTC+00Belgium Business Pessimism Worsens

Belgium’s business confidence indicator fell by 1.3 points to -13.2 in August 2026, down from -11.9 in July, defying market expectations of an improvement to -10.2. Sentiment in the manufacturing sector weakened further, dropping to -17.8 from -15.5, reflecting notably lower confidence in textiles (-13.3 vs -13), wood processing (-33.6 vs -18.3), paper (-15.9 vs 10.4), and ferrous and non-ferrous basic metals (-34.9 vs -25.3).

In construction, confidence in structural building also deteriorated, slipping to -7.7 from -5. By contrast, sentiment improved in construction installation (-1.9 vs -3), building completion (-10.4 vs -13.4), and roofing activities (9.9 vs 4.8).

Business-related services showed an uptick as the indicator rose to -1.4 from -3.8. Sentiment in the trade sector also strengthened, improving to -5.2 from -10.8, largely supported by a sharp rebound in confidence in motor vehicle sales (12.6 vs -10.8).