Business survey Netherlands; to company size

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Sector/branches (SIC 2008) Company size Periods Orders (intake and placed) Value of orders received last 3 months Order intake increased (%) Orders (intake and placed) Value of orders received last 3 months Order intake remained unchanged (%) Orders (intake and placed) Value of orders received last 3 months Order intake decreased (%) Orders (intake and placed) Value of orders received last 3 months Not applicable (%) Orders (intake and placed) Value of orders received last 3 months Balance order intake (%) Orders (intake and placed) Value of orders expected next 3 months Order intake will increase (%) Orders (intake and placed) Value of orders expected next 3 months Order intake will remain unchanged (%) Orders (intake and placed) Value of orders expected next 3 months Order intake will decrease (%) Orders (intake and placed) Value of orders expected next 3 months Not applicable (%) Orders (intake and placed) Value of orders expected next 3 months Balance expected order intake (%) Orders (intake and placed) Value of export orders next 3 months Export orders will increase (%) Orders (intake and placed) Value of export orders next 3 months Export orders will remain unchanged (%) Orders (intake and placed) Value of export orders next 3 months Export orders will decrease (%) Orders (intake and placed) Value of export orders next 3 months Not applicable (%) Orders (intake and placed) Value of export orders next 3 months Balance export orders (%)
All enterprises (no finance or energy) 5 or more employed persons 2024 December . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2025 January 25.0 51.0 12.2 11.8 12.8 17.0 55.7 15.4 11.9 1.6 . . . . .
2025 February . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2025 March . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2025 April 17.9 54.6 16.2 11.3 1.7 23.0 58.7 7.0 11.3 16.1 . . . . .
2025 May . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2025 June . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2025 July 20.9 55.6 12.1 11.4 8.8 14.1 60.6 13.8 11.5 0.4 . . . . .
2025 August . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2025 September . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2025 October 17.9 55.2 15.0 11.9 2.9 21.7 56.4 9.8 12.1 11.9 . . . . .
2025 November . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5 to 50 employed persons 2024 December . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2025 January 21.4 50.2 14.6 13.8 6.8 17.2 55.0 13.8 14.0 3.4 . . . . .
2025 February . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2025 March . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2025 April 18.5 53.0 15.3 13.2 3.2 20.7 57.5 8.6 13.2 12.1 . . . . .
2025 May . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2025 June . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2025 July 18.9 53.7 13.7 13.7 5.2 13.0 58.5 14.6 13.9 -1.7 . . . . .
2025 August . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2025 September . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2025 October 16.9 54.5 15.9 12.7 0.9 19.0 56.4 11.7 12.9 7.2 . . . . .
2025 November . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5 to 250 employed persons 2024 December . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2025 January 23.9 50.2 13.5 12.4 10.3 18.1 55.7 13.7 12.5 4.4 . . . . .
2025 February . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2025 March . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2025 April 19.7 53.0 15.3 12.0 4.5 22.6 57.7 7.7 12.0 14.9 . . . . .
2025 May . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2025 June . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2025 July 20.2 53.5 14.0 12.3 6.2 14.6 58.6 14.3 12.5 0.4 . . . . .
2025 August . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2025 September . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2025 October 18.2 54.0 15.9 11.9 2.3 21.1 56.0 10.9 12.0 10.2 . . . . .
2025 November . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
50 to 250 employed persons 2024 December . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2025 January 27.5 50.3 11.9 10.3 15.6 19.5 56.7 13.4 10.4 6.1 . . . . .
2025 February . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2025 March . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2025 April 21.6 53.2 15.1 10.1 6.4 25.5 58.0 6.4 10.1 19.1 . . . . .
2025 May . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2025 June . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2025 July 22.2 53.2 14.5 10.1 7.7 17.2 58.6 13.7 10.5 3.5 . . . . .
2025 August . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2025 September . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2025 October 20.2 53.3 16.0 10.5 4.3 24.4 55.3 9.7 10.6 14.7 . . . . .
2025 November . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
250 or more employed persons 2024 December . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2025 January 27.0 52.6 9.8 10.6 17.2 15.0 55.8 18.6 10.6 -3.6 . . . . .
2025 February . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2025 March . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2025 April 14.5 57.6 17.9 10.0 -3.4 23.9 60.6 5.5 10.0 18.3 . . . . .
2025 May . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2025 June . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2025 July 22.2 59.4 8.8 9.6 13.4 13.2 64.2 12.9 9.7 0.4 . . . . .
2025 August . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2025 September . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2025 October 17.4 57.2 13.4 12.0 4.1 22.8 57.1 7.9 12.2 15.0 . . . . .
2025 November . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
A Agriculture, forestry and fishing 5 or more employed persons 2024 December . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2025 January 20.3 42.1 19.0 18.6 1.3 19.1 47.7 15.1 18.1 4.0 . . . . .
2025 February . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2025 March . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2025 April 19.9 51.0 11.5 17.6 8.4 23.2 43.8 14.9 18.1 8.3 . . . . .
2025 May . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2025 June . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2025 July 21.8 40.2 21.3 16.7 0.5 10.4 53.1 20.3 16.2 -9.9 . . . . .
2025 August . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2025 September . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2025 October 16.4 48.1 18.9 16.6 -2.4 20.5 44.9 18.2 16.4 2.4 . . . . .
2025 November . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5 to 50 employed persons 2024 December . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2025 January 19.3 43.1 18.6 19.0 0.7 18.9 47.9 14.7 18.5 4.3 . . . . .
2025 February . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2025 March . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2025 April 18.4 51.7 11.9 18.0 6.6 23.0 44.4 14.0 18.6 9.1 . . . . .
2025 May . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2025 June . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2025 July 21.5 41.4 20.2 16.9 1.4 10.3 53.9 19.5 16.3 -9.1 . . . . .
2025 August . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2025 September . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2025 October 16.5 47.2 18.9 17.4 -2.4 19.6 44.4 18.9 17.1 0.6 . . . . .
2025 November . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5 to 250 employed persons 2024 December . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2025 January 19.3 43.5 18.4 18.8 0.8 18.9 47.8 15.0 18.3 4.0 . . . . .
2025 February . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2025 March . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2025 April 19.4 50.8 11.6 18.2 7.8 23.3 43.5 14.5 18.7 8.7 . . . . .
2025 May . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2025 June . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2025 July 22.5 40.1 20.2 17.2 2.4 10.8 52.2 20.3 16.7 -9.5 . . . . .
2025 August . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2025 September . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2025 October 15.2 48.6 19.2 17.0 -4.1 19.1 45.3 18.9 16.7 0.2 . . . . .
2025 November . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
50 to 250 employed persons 2024 December . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2025 January 19.2 45.9 17.5 17.4 1.6 19.0 47.2 16.7 17.1 2.3 . . . . .
2025 February . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2025 March . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Source: CBS.
Explanation of symbols

Table explanation


This table provides up-to-date information about the opinions held by Dutch entrepreneurs on their achievements, expectations and judgments regarding their business. This panel survey is aimed at gaining insight into the current situation, future development and the judgments of Dutch enterprises. As a result it is possible to detect turning points in optimism or pessimism at an early stage, providing an early indication of possible trend changes in the economic activities of the Dutch enterprises. Data are broken down by main business activities (SIC 2008) and size- classes. The questions submitted to the entrepreneurs at the beginning of a quarter concern output, turnover, prices, order books, stocks, investments, competitive position, economic climate, staff size and the obstacles they have encountered. In answering the questions relating to developments in the past three months and expectations for the next three months, the entrepreneurs are asked for a comparison with the preceding period of three months.

The aggregation ‘all enterprises (no finance or energy)’ includes all available branches questioned in the Business Survey Netherlands. Because not every branch is questioned monthly, this aggregation will only have data available for the first month of each quarter. The aggregation ‘C industry, H-S services and 45+47’ includes all monthly questioned branches and serves as a subtotal of the monthly questionnaire.

Data available from: January 2015

Status of the figures: All figures are definitive.

Changes as of November 27th 2025:
Figures of November 2025 have been added.

Changes as of September 4th 2025:
Corrections have been made to previously supplied data for the manufacture of metals. For this reason figures for the topics ‘Assessment of finished products stocks’ and ‘Orders placed next three months’ have been adjusted for C Manufacturing and other activities which manufacturing is part of.

When will new figures be published?
Figures of December 2025 are expected to be published the 29th of December 2025.

Description topics

Orders (intake and placed)
The weighted response rates to the questions:
- "The value of the total orders received in the last three months increased, remained unchanged or decreased?"
- "The value of the intake of orders in the next three months will increase, remaine unchanged or decrease?"
- "The value of the intake of export orders in the next three months will increase, remain unchanged or decrease?"
- "The value of the orders we expect to place with suppliers in the next three months will increase, remain unchanged or decrease?"
- "The total order book shows - during normal working hours - ... months of work?"
- "The total order position, we assess, given the time of year as (too) large, normal or (too) small?"
- "The foreign order books, we assess, given the time of the years, as (too) large, normal or (too) small?"
Value of orders received last 3 months
Weighted response rates to the question:
- "The value of total orders received in the last three months has increased, remained unchanged or decreased?"
Order intake increased
Weighted response rate of producers indicating that the value of the orders received in the last three months has increased.
Order intake remained unchanged
Weighted response rate of producers indicating that the value of orders received in the last three months has remained unchanged.
Order intake decreased
Weighted response rate of producers indicating that the value of the orders received in the last three months has decreased.
Not applicable
The weighted response rate of producers who consider orders reveived not to be relevant for their enterprise plus the weighted rate of producers who were not asked the question.
Balance order intake
The weighted response rate of producers who reported an increase in orders received minus the weighted response rate of producers that reported a decrease. This balance gives insight into the development of value of the total orders received in the last three months.
Value of orders expected next 3 months
Weighted response rates to the question:
- "The value of the intake of orders in the next three months will increase, remain unchanged or decrease?"
Order intake will increase
Weighted response rate of producers indicating that the value of the intake of orders will increase in the next three months.
Order intake will remain unchanged
Weighted response rate of producers indicating that the value of the intake of orders in the next three months will remain unchanged.
Order intake will decrease
Weighted response rate of producers indicating that the value of the intake of orders in the next three months will decrease.
Not applicable
The weighted response rate of producers who consider orders received not to be relevant for their enterprise plus the weighted rate of producers who were not asked the question.
Balance expected order intake
The weighted response rate of producers who reported an increase in the intake orders received minus the weighted response rate of producers that reported a decrease. This balance gives insight into the development of value of the total intake of orders in the next three months.
Value of export orders next 3 months
Weighted response rates to the question:
- "The value of the total export orders received in the next three months will increase, remain unchanged or decrease?"
Export orders will increase
Weighted response rate of producers indicating the export orders will increase in the next three months.
Export orders will remain unchanged
Weighted response rate of producers indicating the export orders will remain unchanged in the next three months.
Export orders will decrease
Weighted response rate of producers indicating the export orders will decrease in the next three months.
Not applicable
The weighted response rate of producers who consider export orders as not relevant for their enterprise plus the weighted response rate of producers who were not asked the question.
Balance export orders
The weighted response rate of producers with an expected increase of export orders minus the weighted response rate of producers with an expected decrease. This balance provides insight into the expected evolution of export orders in the next three months.