Belgium Business Confidence

OECD standardised business confidence indicator (long-term average = 100).

Business Confidence in Belgium increased to 99.18 points in Sep 2026 from 98.99 points in Aug 2026.

99.18
▲ +0.19Sep 2026 · previous 98.99Monthly · index points · Source: OECD — Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development

Belgium Business Confidence — History

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Belgium Business Confidence — analysis in simple words

Latest reading

Business Confidence in Belgium increased to 99.18 points in Sep 2026 from 98.99 points in Aug 2026.

Over the last three months it rose once and fell twice.

Recent trend

A year earlier (Sep 2025) it was 99.53, so the latest figure is 0.35 lower.

Over the past five years the average was 99.32, with a range from 97.97 to 102.59. The latest value is below that five-year average.

Historical context

This data series starts in Jan 1985 and has 501 monthly observations. The latest reading is higher than 29% of all of them.

The highest value on record is 102.65 (Jul 2021) and the lowest is 95.83 (Feb 1993). The long-run average is 100.00.

Compared with other countries

Among 45 economies with recent data, Belgium ranks 35th from the top. The median across all these economies is 99.98, so Belgium is below the typical country.

Within Europe & Central Asia (29 economies with data) it ranks 24th; the regional median is 100.16.

Statistics

Latest
99.18Sep 2026
Previous
98.99
5-year average
99.32
Long-run average
100.00since Jan 1985
All-time high
102.65Jul 2021
All-time low
95.83Feb 1993
Observations
501Monthly

Recent Data

PeriodValueChange
Sep 202699.18▲ +0.19
Aug 202698.99▼ −0.02
Jul 202699.01▼ −0.21
Jun 202699.22▼ −0.18
May 202699.40▲ +0.02
Apr 202699.38▲ +0.13
Mar 202699.25▲ +0.08
Feb 202699.17▼ −0.02
Jan 202699.19▲ +0.00
Dec 202599.19▼ −0.07
Nov 202599.26▼ −0.15
Oct 202599.40▼ −0.13
Sep 202599.53▼ −0.04
Aug 202599.57▲ +0.00
Jul 202599.57▼ −0.09
Jun 202599.65▲ +0.08
May 202599.57▲ +0.19
Apr 202599.39▲ +0.13
Mar 202599.26▲ +0.19
Feb 202599.06▲ +0.32
Jan 202598.74▲ +0.31
Dec 202498.43▲ +0.15
Nov 202498.28▲ +0.12
Oct 202498.17▼ −0.07
Sep 202498.23▼ −0.26
Aug 202498.50▼ −0.38
Jul 202498.87▼ −0.33
Jun 202499.21▼ −0.08
May 202499.28▲ +0.13
Apr 202499.16

Business Confidence — Belgium vs Peers

Latest available reading for each economy (periods may differ). Belgium highlighted.

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More Belgium indicators

GDP Annual Growth Rate0.5%Q2 2026Interest Rate2.50%Sep 2026Inflation Rate4.0%Aug 2026Unemployment Rate5.9%Aug 2026Government Debt to GDP107.9%2025Balance of Trade-$14.6B2025Current Account to GDP-0.2%2025GDP$725.5B2025GDP Growth Rate0.03%Q2 2026Industrial Production-5.6%Jul 2026
Belgium economy overview →   Business Confidence — all countries →

Understanding Business Confidence — a simple guide

What it measures

The OECD standardised business confidence indicator, based on surveys asking companies about production, orders and stocks.

How it is calculated

Survey answers from businesses are combined and standardised by the OECD so that 100 equals the long-term average.

Simple example

A reading of 101.5 means businesses are somewhat more optimistic than their long-run norm.

▲ When it is high or rising

High confidence often comes before more investment and hiring.

▼ When it is low or falling

Low confidence often comes before cuts in production and investment.

Why it matters for the economy and markets

Confident businesses tend to invest and hire more, so this survey often moves ahead of actual production and employment data.

How to read it

100 is the long-term average. Values above 100 mean companies are more optimistic than usual; below 100, more pessimistic.

What to look at alongside it

Industrial production, PMI-type surveys and the leading indicator.

Key terms

Survey indicator
Based on opinions of managers rather than measured output.

Data source

OECD — Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (series OECD business confidence (BCI)), monthly data from Jan 1985 to Sep 2026. Values are shown exactly as published by the source and may be revised later.

How to use the chart

Use the 5Y / 10Y / 25Y / Max buttons to change the time range, or drag the slider under the chart. Hover (or tap) on the line to see the exact value for any period. Dashed lines and hatched bars are IMF projections, not actual data. The “Download CSV” button gives you the full data series.

Frequently asked questions

What is the current business confidence of Belgium?
Belgium business confidence was 99.18 in Sep 2026, compared with 98.99 in the previous period, according to OECD — Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
What is the highest and lowest business confidence of Belgium?
Since Jan 1985, the highest reading was 102.65 (Jul 2021) and the lowest was 95.83 (Feb 1993).
What does business confidence measure?
The OECD standardised business confidence indicator, based on surveys asking companies about production, orders and stocks.

Data are sourced from official international organisations (IMF, World Bank, BIS) and national authorities, and are shown for educational and informational purposes only. They are not investment advice and no recommendation is made. Figures may be revised by the source; IMF figures for the current and future years are projections. This page was last updated on Saturday, October 17, 2026.