Economic Expectations Reach Highest Level since March 2022

The ZEW Indicator of Economic Sentiment for Germany again recorded an increase in the current April 2024 survey. At 42.9 points, it is 11.2 points above the March value. In contrast, the assessment of the economic situation in Germany has remained almost unchanged. The corresponding indicator increased marginally by 1.3 points to a new value of minus 79.2 points.

“A recovering global economy is boosting expectations for Germany, with half of the respondents anticipating the country’s economy to pick up over the next six months. Further contributing to the heightened optimism are the much improved assessments of the situation and economic expectations in Germany’s export destinations. This is reflected, among other things, in the expected appreciation of the US dollar against the euro,” comments ZEW President Professor Achim Wambach on the survey results.

The financial market experts’ sentiment concerning the economic development of the eurozone also experienced a considerable increase in April. At 43.9 points, the indicator rose by 10.4 points compared to March. The situation indicator for the eurozone went up as well, climbing 6.0 points to a new reading of minus 48.8 points.