Finnish companies continue to show the weakest confidence in overall economic prospects among Nordic nations, according to a new business barometer published by Azets.
In a six-country comparison including Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Ireland and the UK, Finnish respondents rated general economic outlook at 4.8 out of 10, well below the international average of 5.4 and Denmark’s leading score of 6.3. Larger Finnish companies were even more downbeat, averaging only 4.5.
Despite this, Finnish firms remain moderately positive about their own financial situation. On average, they gave themselves a score of 5.9 for current business performance. This is slightly below the international average of 6.3 but indicates more optimism at the company level than in the broader economy.
Ulla Nikkanen, Managing Director of Azets Finland, said the results reflect a typically cautious business culture. “While general confidence is the lowest in the Nordics, the view of one’s own business is more stable, especially among larger firms and in the financial sector,” she said.
Financial firms stood out with a self-assessment score of 7.1 and a national economy rating of 6.3. At the other end of the scale, micro-enterprises reported the weakest confidence in their performance, scoring just 5.0.
The strongest concerns among Finnish respondents relate to external risks. Geopolitical uncertainty received a concern rating of 6.6 out of 10, followed by general economic uncertainty at 6.2. Trade tariffs also ranked as a significant concern at 5.5.
“These results highlight the pressure of factors beyond direct control, global instability, market disruptions and supply chain challenges,” Nikkanen said. “While the external environment remains unpredictable, businesses feel they can control their own actions. What’s needed now is strategic boldness, especially from small and medium-sized companies, to translate cautious stability into real growth.”
The survey gathered responses from 276 Finnish companies across sectors. It forms part of Azets’ wider benchmarking of business sentiment in Northern and Western Europe.
HT
