Finnish Industry Confidence Hits 5-Month Low

Finland's manufacturing confidence indicator fell to -1 in March 2026 from a five-month high of 3 in February, slipping below the long-term average of 0. Manufacturers’ expectations for production in the coming months remained positive but were slightly more cautious than in the previous month (20 vs 24 in February). Order books declined further (-21 vs -17), while finished goods inventories increased (1 vs -2), bringing them close to the long-term average of 3. There continues to be notable spare capacity in the sector, with 61% of respondents reporting they were operating at full capacity in March, compared to 57% in the prior month. In February, manufacturing confidence in Finland was somewhat stronger than the EU average.

Finland’s manufacturing confidence improved to 3 in February 2026 from a revised reading of 0 in the previous month, moving slightly above its long-term average level of 0. Production expectations remained favourable, pointing to continued output growth in the coming months. Order books strengthened from January but stayed below their historical average, while inventories of finished goods remained broadly in line with normal levels. Spare capacity persisted across the sector, with 57% of firms reporting operating at full capacity in February, down from a revised 66% in the prior month. Earlier data showed Finland’s manufacturing confidence in January stood slightly above the EU average, indicating relatively resilient industrial sentiment despite remaining capacity slack.

Finland’s manufacturing confidence fell to -1 in January 2026, returning to the negative territory following a neutral reading in the previous month. Production expectations for the coming months weakened sharply to 18 from a downwardly revised 25 in December, while finished goods inventories turned neutral from 4. Meanwhile, order backlog outlook were slightly less negative, easing to -20 from -21. In addition, capacity utilization rose marginally, with 67% of companies reported operating at full capacity in January from 64% in the prior month, but still below the long-term average of 70%.