14 July 2025

Business Confidence Indicators (BCI)

Third Quarter 2025

Main results

  • The Business Confidence Index increases by 1.1% in the third quarter of 2025 as compared with the second quarter.
  • 23.7% of business establishments managers considered that the performance of their business during the third quarter of 2025 would be favourable, while 14.1% thought it would be unfavourable.

More information

Business Confidence

The Harmonised Business Confidence Index increases by 1.1% in the third quarter of 2025 as compared with the second quarter.

Business Confidence

Quarterly rate

Four of the five sector analysed increased confiance with respect to the previous quarter. Transport and Accomodation (3.2%) registered the greatest increases. On the other hand, Construction (-0.2%)  registered the only decreases.

The five sizes of establishments analysed presented an increase in confidence, as compared with the previous quarter. 1,0000 or more employees and From 200 to 999 employees (1.6% both)  showed the largest increases and From 10 to 49 employees (0.4%) the lowest increase.

Opinions regarding the coming quarter (Expectations)

23.7% of business establishments managers considered that the performance of their business during the third quarter of 2025 would be favourable, while 14.1% thought it would be unfavourable.  

Opinions regarding the coming quarter (Expectations)

14.8% of business establishments managers consider that employment, referring to personnel hired in their business, will increase in the third quarter of 2025, while 9.6% believe that it will decrease.

11.9% of business establishments managers foresee that the price level of their business will increase in the third quarter of 2025, while 5.1% estimate that it will decrease.

Opinions regarding the ending quarter (Situation)

23.3% of business establishments managers expressed a favourable opinion regarding the performance of their business in the second quarter 2025. In turn, 12.7% had an unfavourable opinion.

Opinions regarding the ending quarter (Situation)

Results by Autonomous Communities

Business confidence increased in the third quarter of 2025 as compared with previous quarter in 12 autonomous communities and decreased in the other five.

The largest increases were recorded in Illes Balears (5.0%), Cantabria (4.4%) y Galicia (3.5%). The largest decreases were recorded in Extremadura (-3.4%), Canarias (-2.1%) and Comunitat Valenciana (-0.5%).

National index and by Autonomous Communities. Third Quarter 2025

Quarterly Rate 

Review and update of data

The data published today are final and will not be subject to further revision. There have been no updates to previous publications. All results are available on INEBase.

According to the Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/137 INE has started the works to incorporate the new National Classification of Economic Activities CNAE-2025 in all the statistical operations. 

In the case of the BCI, the release of the first results with CNAE-2025 will take place in April 2028.

Methodological note

The objective of this survey is to find out, at a given time, the vision that establishment managers have about their situation.

The BCI survey collects opinions from establishment managers regarding the performance of their business for each last quarter and on their expectations for each coming quarter.

The methodology is based on the Japanese TANKAN index, that is, there is no weighting or elevation depending on the characteristics of the establishment since the opinion of each informant counts equally.

The survey methodology enables the integration of analogous data compiled by the statistics services of the Autonomous Communities, once their consistency is checked so they can be incorporated into the general process of the survey. There are currently agreements signed to this effect with Andalucia, Illes Balears, Canarias, Castilla y León, Cataluña, la Rioja, Extremadura and Comunitat Valenciana.

Type of survey:
quarterly continuous survey.
Base period:
First quarter of 2013.
Population scope:
all establishments whose main activity is included in the following sections of
CNAE-2009: B to N (both inclusive, except for division 70), R (only divisions 92 and 93) and S (only divisions 95 and 96).
Geographical scope:
the entire national territory.
Sample size:
The simple is representative both nationally and by Autonomous Community and is made up of some 8,000 establishments.
Reference period:
the reference is quarterly and questions are asked about the quarter ending and about the coming quarter.
Collection method:
completion of the questionnaire by establishment managers themselves using one of the following methods: internet (IRIA system), e-mail, fax, telephone or by postal mail.

Further information is available in the methodology and the standarized methodological report.

INE's statistics are produced according to the European Statistics Code of Practice. For further information at Quality at INE and Code of Practice.

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