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Business confidence has fallen for the second consecutive quarter, reaching -7.5 in the second quarter of 2025

Developments, expectations and opinions of businesses Sector/branches, confidence margins

There has been a slight fall in business confidence for the first time in over a year.

Business owners anticipate hiring more staff and investing more in 2025, but these expectations are less positive than they were for 2024.

In the second quarter, entrepreneurs saw profitability improve on balance for the first time in over two years.

There has been another slight improvement in business confidence, which stood at -6.0 at the start of Q2 2024.

There has been a slight improvement in business confidence, which was -7.7 at the start of Q4 2024.

Entrepreneurial confidence showed a slight decline at the start of Q4 2023, ending at -10.1.

From July 2023, CBS will use a new method to measure business confidence based on the results of the Netherlands Business Survey (COEN).

At the start of Q3 2023, entrepreneurial confidence stood at -8.3. It was at virtually the same position three months previously (according to a new calculation method)

In Q2 2023, business confidence rose to 7.5. This means the sentiment indicator is positive for the second quarter in a row. Business confidence is positive in most industries

Business Confidence to sector/branches

Developments, expectations and opinions of businesses Sector/branches

At the start of Q1 2023, entrepreneurial confidence increased from slightly negative to positive (6.4).

Business Survey Netherlands, production, turnover, profitability Economic climate, workforce, sector/branches, seasonally adjusted

At the start of Q4 2022, entrepreneurial confidence was negative for the first time since early 2021.

Entrepreneurial confidence showed a decline at the start of the third quarter. The decline is seen in most industries

At the beginning of Q2 2022, staff shortages formed the largest obstacle for entrepreneurs in carrying out their business activities.

At the beginning of 2022, business confidence declined after three consecutive quarters of growth. The mood did remain predominantly positive in most sectors.

Dutch entrepreneurs expect higher investments, more turnover and higher staffing levels in 2022.

Business confidence continued its upward climb at the start of the third quarter of 2021, reaching the highest level since measurements started in 2008.

At the beginning of Q2 2021, business confidence was cautiously positive for the first time since the onset of the coronavirus crisis, although manufacturers in many sectors are still gloomy.

In Q1 2021, business confidence has declined slightly and is still negative.

Entrepreneurs expect to invest less in 2021 than in the current year for the first time since 2013, but a majority anticipate an increase in turnover and staffing levels.

At the start of Q3 2020, entrepreneurial confidence stood at -19.3, up from -37.2 in the previous quarter.