DIHK Economic Survey February 2024

However, DIHK economic survey does not show any relief

The poor mood in the German economy as a whole continues to consolidate. This is shown by the economic survey conducted by the German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DIHK) at the beginning of 2024, in which more than 27,000 companies from all sectors and regions took part.

Current situation and expectations remain gloomy

When evaluating the current business situation, 29 percent of companies describe their situation as "good" and 22 percent as "bad." The trend continues to decline steadily. The business situation balance, the difference between positive and negative assessments, deteriorates again from 9 to 7 points.

Overall, business expectations remain bleak. More than a third of companies, 35 percent, anticipate a deterioration in the next twelve months, while only 14 percent expect improvement. The balance of business expectations remains almost constant at a low level, increasing minimally by 1 point to minus 21 points.

Contrary to this gloomy outlook, companies benefiting from international business are performing somewhat better. For these predominantly larger companies, the business situation improves from a balance of 16 to 23 points, and expectations improve from minus 7 to 0 points. While it's a typical pattern for internationally active businesses to have better assessments, the gap between international and predominantly national business is particularly evident at the current juncture. However, it is also evident that economic policy risks are greatest for large companies.

The complete survey with all details can be downloaded here:

Pages: 27 pages | File size: 858 KB

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