Belgium’s business confidence barometer rose by 3.4 points to -10.1 in June 2025 from -13.5 in May, marking the third consecutive monthly gain. Confidence recovered strongly in the manufacturing industry (-11.6 vs -16.1 in May), supported by improved order book assessments, brighter demand expectations, and more optimistic employment prospects. Business-related services (-2.6 vs -9.0) also rebounded, driven by more positive assessments of current activity and markedly stronger market demand expectations.
However, business confidence deteriorated in the building industry (-10.2 vs -7.5), weighed down by weakened order book assessments and lower equipment use despite improved demand expectations. In trade (-13.9 vs -10.9), the decline was mainly due to more negative demand expectations.
