26.01.202614:07:34UTC+00Belgium Business Confidence Rebounds in January

The business confidence index in Belgium experienced a notable increase of 3.8 points, reaching -11.0 in January 2026. This marks a recovery from the seven-month low of -11.9 recorded in December 2025 and surpasses the market forecast of -10.2. Confidence improved across significant cyclical sectors. Within the manufacturing sector, confidence rebounded to -11.0 from -14.8 in December 2025, fueled by more optimistic evaluations of total order books and, to a lesser degree, better employment prospects. The construction industry saw a recovery to -6.8, up from -8.3, following consistent declines since October 2025, driven by heightened demand expectations. In the trade sector, sentiment sharply improved to -5.6 from -13.8, with increases in demand and supplier orders, even though businesses are planning to reduce hiring over the next three months. Conversely, the business-related services sector weakened to -2.7 from -2.5 for the second month in a row, due to reduced market demand and activity expectations, although there were slightly better evaluations of current activity.