FX.co ★ German ZEW Economic Sentiment Improves in May but Remains in Negative Territory

Germany’s ZEW Economic Sentiment index showed a notable improvement in May 2026, signaling easing pessimism among financial market experts, though expectations for the economy remain negative overall.

The indicator rose to -10.2 in May from -17.2 in April 2026, according to data updated on 12 May 2026. While the move marks a clear uptick in sentiment and suggests that concerns about Germany’s economic outlook have moderated, the fact that the index is still below zero indicates that a majority of surveyed analysts continue to foresee a challenging environment ahead.

The narrowing gap between April and May readings may point to growing expectations that the worst of the downturn risks could be receding, but confidence has yet to turn decisively positive, underscoring lingering uncertainty around Germany’s economic trajectory in the near term.