Belgium's business confidence index experienced a slight decline in July 2025, decreasing by 0.7 points to -10.8, following three consecutive months of improvement. This downturn was primarily attributed to a drop in confidence within the manufacturing sector, where the index fell to -13.5 from -11.6 in June, due to increasingly negative assessments of total order books, stock levels, and demand projections.
On the other hand, the trade sector witnessed a notable boost in confidence, with the index rising to -7.2 from -13.9. This improvement was largely driven by enhanced expectations for demand, as well as positive shifts in employment forecasts and anticipated orders to suppliers. Additionally, the building industry saw a minor uptick in confidence, with the index slightly improving to -10.0 from -10.2, thanks to better evaluations of orders and order books. Similarly, sentiment in business-related services strengthened, with the index climbing to -1.2 from -2.6, reflecting more optimistic assessments of current activity and future outlooks.
