Investment down by nearly 4 percent in May

In May, the volume of investment in tangible fixed assets was down by 3.8 percent, year on year, as reported by Statistics Netherlands (CBS). Investment in buildings, infrastructure and machinery was lower, while investment in aircraft was up. In April 2026, investment was down by 3.3 percent.

These figures on investment have not been adjusted for calendar effects. May 2026 had two fewer working days than May 2025. For June, conditions for investment in the Netherlands were less unfavourable than they were in May.

Investment climate less unfavourable in June

Every month, CBS publishes an update on the investment climate in its visualisation of investment conditions. Factors that are relevant to the investment climate include the situation in sales markets and the financial markets. Although the indicators in the visualisation correlate fairly well with fixed investment, improved conditions do not necessarily result in higher growth or a smaller contraction in investment.

In June, the investment climate in the Netherlands was less unfavourable than it was in May. This is because consumer confidence improved and producers were less negative about their order positions.