WIFO-Investitionsbefragung (Investment Survey) of Spring 2025

The results of the WIFO-Investitionsbefragung (investment survey) show that investment plans will be cut again in 2025, with a gradual bottoming out becoming apparent. Companies in the manufacturing sector in particular reported reductions. The results suggest investment growth in the service sector. At industry level, the picture is mixed. Within manufacturing, producers of investment goods and intermediate goods are cutting back on investment. In the services sector, companies in the real estate, professional, scientific, and technical services, and providers of financial and insurance services are likely to expand their investments. Small and medium-sized enterprises are likely to cut back on investment slightly more than large companies. The slowdown in investment growth is driven by declines in equipment and infrastructure investment, while intangible capital investment is cushioning the decline. For Austria's economy as a whole, WIFO expects real gross fixed capital formation to decline by 0.8 percent (in real terms) in 2025.