Almost 25% of businesses have shelved investment plans in past 12 months
Almost a quarter of businesses have postponed or cancelled investment plans over the past twelve months. Additionally, almost half of all businesses are experiencing obstacles to investment. Most companies are investing in technology to ensure that they remain future-proof. This is reported by Statistics Netherlands (CBS), the Dutch Chamber of Commerce (KvK), the Economic Institute for Construction and Housing (EIB), the Dutch Organisation for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (MKB-Nederland) and the Dutch Employers’ Organisation (VNO-NCW) on the basis of the Netherlands Business Survey of October 2026.
14 percent of businesses have postponed or cancelled planned investments over the past twelve months. Just over 2 percent have cancelled investment plans, and just over 7 percent have both postponed and cancelled investment. In the real estate activities sector, almost half of business owners have postponed or reconsidered planned investments. Businesses in accommodation and food services (37 percent) and manufacturing (33 percent) were more likely to indicate this. Businesses in information and communication (15 percent) and business services (17 percent) were the least likely to have postponed investment plans. 10 percent of businesses had no investment plans in the past twelve months.
| Bedrijfstak | Yes, have postponed investment plans (% of firms) | Yes, have cancelled investment plans (% of firms) | Yes, both postponed and cancelled (% of firms) | No (% of firms) | Not applicable (% of firms) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total (excl. financial and utilities companies) | 14.1 | 2.5 | 7.6 | 65.8 | 10.0 |
| Real estate activities | 36.5 | 3.0 | 9.0 | 41.3 | 10.2 |
| Accommodation and food services | 23.7 | 1.9 | 11.3 | 45.5 | 17.6 |
| Manufacturing | 18.6 | 3.0 | 11.5 | 60.6 | 6.3 |
| Agriculture, forestry and fishing | 13.0 | 4.6 | 14.6 | 55.8 | 12.0 |
| Transportation and storage | 15.3 | 3.9 | 11.6 | 61.4 | 7.8 |
| Culture, sport and recreation | 21.2 | 2.0 | 6.3 | 58.0 | 12.5 |
| Car trade and repairs | 11.9 | 3.9 | 4.1 | 70.7 | 9.4 |
| Retail trade (excl. cars) | 8.7 | 1.0 | 9.0 | 70.6 | 10.7 |
| Construction | 12.8 | 3.1 | 2.6 | 74.7 | 6.8 |
| Wholesale and commission trade | 11.8 | 2.5 | 4.2 | 71.5 | 10.0 |
| Business services | 10.8 | 2.1 | 4.1 | 68.7 | 14.3 |
| Information and communication | 9.1 | 1.2 | 4.9 | 79.5 | 5.3 |
| Source: CBS, EIB, KVK, VNO-NCW, MKB-Nederland | |||||
| 1)in past 12 months | |||||
Majority of businesses experience barriers to investment
Over 48 percent of businesses indicated that they experience barriers to investment. Financial constraints (17 percent) and uncertainty about future economic policy or regulation (14 percent) are the most frequently cited barriers.
Firms in the property sector experience barriers the most frequently, particularly in the form of existing regulations, planning permission or infrastructure (52 percent). Uncertainty about future policy or regulation is the most frequently mentioned barrier to investment in agriculture, forestry and fishing, and in manufacturing. Firms in the business services sector are the least likely to experience barriers when making investments.
| Bedrijfstak | Financial constraints (% of firms) | Uncertainty over future economic policy or regulation (% of firms) | Constraints due to current regulation, permits or infrastructure (% of firms) | Shortage of personnel (% of firms) | Weak demand (% of firms) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total (excl. financial and utilities companies) | 16.9 | 13.7 | 11.1 | 10.3 | 8 |
| Culture, sport and recreation | 30.3 | 12.4 | 6.9 | 6.4 | 3.3 |
| Accommodation and food services | 25.3 | 16.6 | 14.6 | 8.6 | 6.7 |
| Real estate activities | 22.4 | 11.1 | 52.2 | 3.6 | 6.5 |
| Manufacturing | 22.2 | 20.8 | 13.9 | 10.5 | 13.4 |
| Agriculture, forestry and fishing | 18.8 | 29.1 | 19.2 | 6.3 | 3.9 |
| Information and communication | 17.6 | 8.5 | 1.6 | 8.5 | 9.6 |
| Wholesale and commission trade | 16.8 | 11.2 | 11.3 | 9.9 | 12 |
| Transportation and storage | 15.7 | 17.5 | 11.7 | 14.9 | 6.6 |
| Business services | 13.9 | 8.3 | 5.5 | 11.2 | 5.8 |
| Retail trade (excl. cars) | 13.6 | 6.2 | 16.9 | 6.9 | 3.4 |
| Car trade and repairs | 9.4 | 14.3 | 6.8 | 15.1 | 3.6 |
| Construction | 6.2 | 16.1 | 8.4 | 11.7 | 8 |
| Source: CBS, EIB, KVK, VNO-NCW, MKB-Nederland | |||||
| 1)Firms could choose a maximum of three repsonses. | |||||
Almost half of firms are investing in technology
Many firms (46 percent) are investing in technology, such as digitisation or autmation, in order to ensure that they remain future-proof. Firms in the information and communication are the most likely to be doing this, at 65 percent.
Meanwhile, firms in the car trade and repair sector and in the construction sector invest primarily in their staff, for example through training and courses (37 percent and 28 percent of firms, respectively). Product innovation or R&D are cited the most frequently in manufacturing (26 percent). In the property sector, technology and sustainability are the key areas for investment.
| Bedrijfstak | Technology (e.g. digitalisation, automation) (% of firms) | Personnel (e.g. training/courses) (% of firms) | Sustainability/corporate social responsibility (% of firms) | Product innovation or R&D (% of firms) | Other (% of firms) | My firm does not invest for these purposes (% of firms) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total (excl. financial and utilities companies) | 46.5 | 16.7 | 12.3 | 11.9 | 3.2 | 9.4 |
| Information and communication | 64.9 | 13.5 | 2.9 | 12.8 | 0.2 | 5.7 |
| Wholesale and commission trade | 59.6 | 10.4 | 8.9 | 11.5 | 2 | 7.6 |
| Business services | 53.3 | 21.7 | 6.8 | 8.3 | 1.5 | 8.4 |
| Retail trade (excl. cars) | 50.1 | 13.5 | 10.2 | 10.3 | 7.3 | 8.6 |
| Transportation and storage | 46.3 | 10.6 | 24.8 | 8.1 | 2.6 | 7.6 |
| Manufacturing | 42.1 | 13.5 | 10.5 | 26.2 | 2.2 | 5.5 |
| Car trade and repairs | 40.4 | 37.4 | 6.8 | 2.4 | 2.1 | 10.9 |
| Real estate activities | 34.9 | 11.3 | 34.9 | 0.7 | 3.9 | 14.3 |
| Culture, sport and recreation | 34.1 | 17.4 | 24.2 | 7 | 6 | 11.3 |
| Construction | 33.9 | 28.4 | 18.2 | 7.8 | 5.9 | 5.8 |
| Agriculture, forestry and fishing | 33.7 | 4.3 | 22 | 18.7 | 5.9 | 15.4 |
| Accommodation and food services | 26.5 | 19 | 15.1 | 3.1 | 5.3 | 31 |
| Source: CBS, EIB, KVK, VNO-NCW, MKB-Nederland | ||||||
Business confidence remains negative at the start of Q4
Business confidence remained unchanged at the start of Q4 2026, at -5.3. Firms are slightly less negative about the economic outlook for the next three months (-4.0) than they are about the past three months (-6.6).
Confidence rose the most in the wholesale and commission trade and declined the most in transportation and storage. Firms are the most positive in the information and communications sector, and most negative in agriculture, forestry and fishing.
| Jaar | Maand | Business confidence (Average for all components) |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | -0.3 | |
| 2022 | -7.6 | |
| 2022 | -10.9 | |
| 2022 | -20.3 | |
| 2023 | -12 | |
| 2023 | -6.8 | |
| 2023 | -7.4 | |
| 2023 | -8.7 | |
| 2024 | -7.1 | |
| 2024 | -5.8 | |
| 2024 | -3.7 | |
| 2024 | -3.1 | |
| 2025 | -5.2 | |
| 2025 | -7.1 | |
| 2025 | -3.9 | |
| 2025 | -4.1 | |
| 2026 | -1.8 | |
| 2026 | -14.8 | |
| 2026 | -5.3 | |
| 2026 | -5.3 | |
| Source: CBS, EIB, KVK, VNO-NCW, MKB-Nederland | ||
Shortage of labour remains the main issue
The shortage of labour remains the main obstacle to business operations. At the start of Q4 2026, this applied to 32 percent of firms, which was virtually the same (33 percent) as in the previous quarter.
For 19 percent of businesses, weak demand is the main obstacle. ‘Other causes’ are cited slightly more often (17 percent); these mainly relate to legislation and regulations, geopolitical uncertainty or high energy costs.
Sources
- StatLine - Business confidence; by sector