Web Trader MT5
The ZEW Indicator of Economic Sentiment turns the answers from the ZEW Financial Market Survey into one number. It shows whether financial experts feel more positive or negative about Germany’s economic outlook over the next six months.
The calculation is straightforward. The percentage expecting conditions to worsen is subtracted from the percentage expecting them to improve. If 45% expect improvement and 25% expect deterioration, the indicator is +20. Those expecting no change do not affect the result.
A positive number means optimists outnumber pessimists. It does not mean the economy has grown by that percentage. ZEW reports current conditions separately, so expectations and today’s reality can be compared side by side.
