The Bank of France’s monthly business survey estimates that French GDP will grow by about 0.1% in the third quarter of 2026, following no growth in the second quarter. Industrial activity rebounded in August and services and construction continued to expand, although growth in several sectors was weaker than businesses had expected. Capital goods and transport equipment supported manufacturing, aided by defence demand and data center construction, while adverse weather constrained accommodation, food services and construction. Businesses expect industrial and services activity to strengthen in September, partly as sectors recover from heatwave disruption, while construction growth is expected to remain broadly stable amid thin order books. The industrial outlook is unusually uncertain, and concerns about the political climate and potential disruption from electronic invoicing have increased uncertainty in services and construction. Input cost pressures persisted, but competitive conditions limited selling price increases in manufacturing and construction, while services prices rose slightly faster because transport and storage firms passed on higher fuel costs.
2026-09-21Bank of France
Bank of France estimates 0.1% third quarter GDP growth as industry and services strengthen
The Bank of France estimates that GDP will grow by 0.1% in the third quarter of 2026 as market services support activity and industry recovers from summer disruption. Businesses expect stronger industrial and services growth in September, but weak construction order books, political uncertainty and input cost pressures continue to weigh on the outlook.