Global Business Barometer 2026

Our annual worldwide survey of Austrian subsidiaries has delivered key insights into global business expectations for 2026. The survey was conducted in cooperation with the Vienna University of Economics and Business and collates responses from locations in around 70 countries.

The findings provide a unique sentiment snapshot of Austria’s export economy that reveals how Austrian companies are rating business opportunities and economic conditions in their international locations.

• Austrian firms worldwide anticipate generally stable economic development in 2026. The outlook is particularly optimistic for the Middle East and large parts of Asia.
• Company indicators support this trend, with many subsidiaries anticipating higher revenues and a promising order book in 2026. Operational improvements are anticipated in Africa, India, and Southeast Asia in particular. By contrast, the outlook for China and Europe remains subdued.
• Pressures are arising primarily from elevated labor costs, excessive bureaucracy, and economic policy that is proving hard to predict—factors that have attracted particular criticism in Germany, Austria’s most important export market. By contrast, product quality and local supply infrastructure are viewed as positive.
• Although stagnation prevails in Western and Central Europe and expectations remain muted in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, a more stable economic environment has established itself in Southeast Europe.
• Geopolitical risks are shaping the international business environment. The most important risk factors affecting companies worldwide include military conflict, geopolitical tension, rising protectionism, and competition between global powers, with trade policy a matter of immediate concern in Latin America.
• ADVANTAGE AUSTRIA remains an essential partner for success for Austrian companies with a global footprint, with around 84% of subsidiaries rating local support as very good or good. At the same time, there is a critical view of cooperation with local political decision‑makers at many locations.

After another year of subdued global growth, Austrian subsidiaries rate the economic situation as predominantly stable in 2026. Despite the lingering after-effects of recent years of high inflation, price pressure has eased significantly in many markets. The burden of high energy and commodity prices has also been alleviated of late, calming many companies’ expectations. The international environment nonetheless continues to be shaped by geopolitical tension and disruptions to supply chains.

Despite such uncertainties, however, the majority of subsidiaries anticipate largely stable progress in 2026.

Economic outlooks for 2026 differ markedly across the globe. There is notably pronounced optimism in Middle East and Africa, with many companies active in both areas expecting conditions to improve and more than half of respondents in Africa anticipating better prospects. Both regions thus clearly exceed average global expectations.

By contrast, sentiment across much of Europe and North America is predominantly cautious, with most companies predicting stagnant or challenging conditions. Latin America continues to show stability, with a quarter of firms forecasting an upswing, while Asia and Oceania are emerging as dynamic growth regions, with most expectations ranging from stable to positive.

Geopolitical risk is set to remain the primary source of uncertainty for Austrian companies abroad in 2026. Military conflict and geopolitical tension continue to top the list of concerns, followed by rising protectionism and intensifying systemic competition among the major powers; these last two factors have only increased in gravity since the previous year, with repercussions for numerous markets worldwide.

Economic sanctions and the re‑routing of trade and transport flows continue to shape the international business environment. Additional challenges such as a slowdown in global value chains and discriminatory measures against foreign companies are aggravating headwinds in several regions.

The survey clearly reveals that geopolitical developments are continuing to have a major impact on the international activities of Austrian subsidiaries.

Promoting corporate interests abroad remains a challenge for Austrian subsidiaries. Support from ADVANTAGE AUSTRIA is rated as very good or good by 84% of companies and continues to be one of the most important factors in overcoming local challenges.

The Global Business Barometer survey has been conducted annually by ADVANTAGE AUSTRIA since 2016. The 2026 iteration has been produced in cooperation with the Institute for International Business at the Vienna University of Economics and Business, and 1,613 subsidiaries of Austrian companies in 69 countries took part in the online survey during October 2025.

The majority of participants are based in Europe (66%), followed by Asia and Oceania (18%), North and Latin America (9%), Africa (4%), and the Middle East (3%). The companies surveyed are predominantly active in sales (40%), followed by provision of services (29%) and manufacturing (25%). One in three subsidiaries generates revenue in excess of €20 million.