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February 2017: Economic Sentiment broadly unchanged in both the euro area and the EU

In February, the Economic Sentiment Indicator (ESI) remained broadly unchanged in both the euro area (+0.1 points to 108.0) and the EU (+0.3 points to 108.91). Broadly flat euro area sentiment resulted from higher industry, services and construction confidence, on the one hand, and lower consumer and retail trade confidence on the other hand. Amongst the largest euro area economies, the ESI rose in Spain  (+1.3) and France  (+1.1), while it remained broadly unchanged in Italy (+0.2) and the Netherlands (+0.1) and decreased only in Germany (­0.8). The marginally better outcome for the EU ESI (+0.3) resulted from markedly improved sentiment in the largest non­euro area EU economy, the UK (+2.3), which was partly offset by the deterioration of the ESI in Poland (­0.7). While industry, services, and construction confidence improved in line with the euro area, EU confidence in the retail trade and financial services sectors improved slightly. Finally, the decrease in EU consumer confidence was less marked than in the euro area.

See also : Latest business and consumer surveys