Business Climate Survey for the Netherlands
About the Survey
2024 marks the fourth time the Business Climate Survey has been conducted in the Netherlands, providing unique insights into the local economic outlook, specific market parameters, and success factors for Swedish companies to succeed in the Dutch market.
Team Sweden has identified approximately 200 Swedish-owned entities in the Netherlands today. In 2024, the Business Climate Survey was distributed to 185 recipients across the Netherlands between March and April. With the joint efforts of Business Sweden, the Embassy of Sweden in The Hague, and the Swedish Chamber of Commerce, 58 responses were collected, representing a 31 per cent response frequency.
We extend our sincere gratitude to all survey participants who contributed their valuable time and observations. Your input serves as a powerful resource in our mutual work to strengthen the enduring relationship between Sweden and the Netherlands.
The Netherlands Business Climate Survey 2024
At the heart of Europe, the Netherlands is a key springboard for Swedish companies in their international expansion.
The political ties between Sweden and the Netherlands remain robust, and the like-mindedness between the countries in the EU is striking. The Netherlands solidified its position as Sweden’s seventh-largest trading partner in 2023, with exports of goods exceeding 115 billion SEK.
Swedish companies in the Dutch market have shown resilience. Despite a slight decline in profitability and increased losses since 2022, their financial performance in the Netherlands stabilised in 2024.
Swedish companies remain optimistic about the future: 72% of respondents expect industry turnover to increase, and over half of Swedish respondents consider increasing investments in the Netherlands.
As seen throughout this report, sustainability is a key priority in the Netherlands. This trend has not gone unnoticed by Swedish companies in the market, with 73 per cent of respondents confirming that customers in the Netherlands consider environmental aspects when making purchasing decisions.
The view of the Swedish brand is still positive but is losing significance year by year. This is not necessarily negative, and the report gives some ideas of the reasons why the importance of the Swedish brand is declining.
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Global Business Climate Survey
About the survey
The Global Business Climate Survey is jointly produced by Business Sweden, the Swedish Chambers of Commerce (SCI), and Sweden’s embassies and consulates and covers 23 markets in Western Europe, APAC, MEA+, and the Americas.
The survey was first carried out in 2020 and captures the viewpoints, experiences, and insights of Swedish business leaders overseas. This year, more than 1,700 C-level representatives of Swedish companies abroad responded to the survey and answered 18 standard questions on the business climate in their main markets. The responses from the various regions are weighted in the survey results.
Global Business Climate Survey 2024
For the fifth consecutive year, the Global Business Climate Survey monitors the views of 1,700 decision-makers at Swedish companies operating in 24 markets worldwide.
The findings reveal a divided picture – sentiment has dropped compared to last year but a positive outlook on the business climate prevails in most markets. Meanwhile, the UAE, Saudi Arabia and India stand out for most favourable assessments in 2024.
Around half of the respondents plan to increase their investments slightly or significantly in the next 12 months. Overall, 65 per cent of Swedish companies expect their industry turnover to increase. This year, the top three success factors were deemed to be cost efficiency, sales competence and partnerships/brand awareness.
Download the report to get first-hand perspectives on local business conditions and how to navigate successfully in different markets and regions.
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