Figure 2a – Last point: March 2024.

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igure 2 – European comparison of economic sentiment indicators and the composite PMI

Reading: in March 2024, the economic sentiment indicator for France stands at 101 points.
Source: DG Ecfin.
Figure 2b – Last point: March 2024 (France and Germany), February 2024 (Spain and Italy).
Reading: in March 2024, the flash PMI index for France stands at female database 48 points, below the contraction threshold (50).
Source: S&P Global.
Opinion polls to take the pulse of the economy
The business climate indicators and the Purchasing Managers' Index are derived from surveys of business leaders. These surveys are conducted monthly and gather entrepreneurs' opinions on various aspects of their business. These responses provide an overview of the country's economic situation and outlook. Companies are asked about recent and future changes in their sales or production, workforce, and prices.

These surveys cover different sectors of activity : industry, construction, services, and even commerce. While each of these sectors has its own characteristics (industrial production does not follow the same imperatives as retail sales), they are constructed in the same way, which allows for comparison or aggregation of results from different sectors.