Norway’s industrial confidence rose to 2.6 in Q2 2026, following an upwardly revised 1.4 in the previous quarter, though it remained below its long-term average of 2.9.
The improvement came as total industrial production edged higher, driven by a strong increase in output among intermediate goods manufacturers.
Producers of consumer goods was unchanged, while investment goods output continued to decline as reduced oil and gas investments weighed on demand.
Employment remained broadly stable for a third consecutive quarter, while total order shrank amid weaker domestic and export demand, led by a sharp decline in capital goods orders.
On the price front, input costs continued to rise faster than selling prices.
Looking ahead, firms expect production, employment, order intake, and order backlogs to increase in the third quarter, despite anticipating further rises in input and selling prices.