Expectations Decline Considerably

The ZEW Indicator of Economic Sentiment for Germany declined very sharply in the current October 2020 survey, plummeting 21.3 points to a new reading of 56.1 points. By contrast, the assessment of the economic situation in Germany improved again, and currently stands at minus 59.5 points, 6.7 points higher than in September.

“The ZEW Indicator of Economic Sentiment is still very clearly in positive territory. However, the great euphoria witnessed in August and September seems to have evaporated. The recent sharp rise in the number of COVID-19 cases has increased uncertainty about future economic development, as has the prospect of the UK leaving the EU without a trade deal. The current situation in the run-up to the presidential election in the United States further fuels uncertainty,” comments ZEW President Professor Achim Wambach on the current expectations.

The financial market experts’ sentiment concerning the economic development of the eurozone also took a nosedive, dropping 21.6 points to a current level of 52.3 points. The indicator for the current economic situation in the eurozone, on the other hand, climbed 4.3 points to a level of minus 76.6 points.

More information and studies on the ZEW Indicator of Economic Sentiment and the release dates 2020 (as PDF file, 28 KB) and the historical time series (as Excel file, 81 KB)

More about Achim Wambach on Twitter: @AchimWambach