Belgium: Economic sentiment rises in December
Economic sentiment came in at 95.4 in December, up notably from November’s 88.9. December’s result marked the best reading since July 2022. Consequently, the index remained below the long-term average of 100, pointing to a muted near-term outlook for the economy.
The headline print reflected stronger sentiment in the industrial sector and improved sentiment in the construction sector. Meanwhile, confidence in the services sector was healthier in December, while sentiment in the retail sector increased in the surveyed month. Lastly, consumer confidence increased in December.
Referring to indicators that are not used to calculate the index, employment expectations improved, while the economic uncertainty index fell in December.