Slovak economic confidence weakens in September

Alsharq Tribune-Ahmed Essam 

Slovakia's overall economic confidence weakened in September despite a slight improvement in consumer optimism, said the Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic on Monday.

The country's economic sentiment indicator dropped by 3.2 points from the previous month to 97.4 in September. Among its five components, confidence in industry and services declined further, while construction, trade and consumers reported improved optimism, according to the office.

"Despite a partial improvement in consumer optimism, the overall data clearly indicate that the Slovak economy is operating within a zone of low confidence," said Tomas Bohacek, a local analyst, as quoted by the News Agency of the Slovak Republic.

Slovakia's central bank said on Sept. 25 that the country's GDP was projected to grow by 0.8 percent in 2025, lower than earlier estimates.