Stats: Economic Mood in Slovakia Worsens again in March 2026

Bratislava, 30 March (TASR) - Slovak entrepreneurs and consumers were more pessimistic in March 2026 than in the previous month, with the Economic Sentiment Indicator (ESI) falling by 2.5 points from February to stand at 95, the lowest figure seen in the past five months, the Statistics Office reported on Monday. The overall figure was 4.6 points less optimistic than in the same period of last year, and it was 10.7 points below the long-term average. Sentiment deteriorated in almost all monitored sectors, most notably in trade and services. However, it also worsened in industry and among consumers. Only entrepreneurs engaged in the construction sector showed moderate optimism. After seasonal adjustments, the confidence indicator in industry decreased by 1 point to -3.3 in March, mainly as a result of growth in stocks of finished products. The seasonally adjusted confidence indicator in services declined by 4 points to -3.7, with worsening posted in two of its three components, particularly demand for the past three months and expected demand. Meanwhile, the confidence indicator in trade decreased by 5 points from February to stand at 1. The respondents evaluated negatively a decrease in business activities over the past three months, chiefly those engaged in retail in food, beverages and tobacco in specialised outlets. They were also more pessimistic regarding expected business activities, especially in the sale of car components and accessories. The confidence indicator in construction grew by 2.5 points to -3 in March under the influence of more optimistic evaluations regarding the overall level of orders and expected employment. Entrepreneurs also expect more favourable employment developments, especially those engaged in companies focused on the implementation of engineering construction projects. Following a moderate improvement last month, the consumer atmosphere in Slovakia worsened again in March, with the seasonally adjusted indicator falling to the three-year low. It went down by 3.2 points from February to -28.2 and was 8.3 points below the long-term average. Consumers were more pessimistic only in two of the four components of the indicator, however, the drop was significant. They were mainly concerned about the development of the overal economic situation, as well as unemployment. Meanwhile, they showed little optimism when assessing the developments of their household financial situation in terms of both - the overall financial situation and expected savings. ko