The ZEW Indicator of Economic Sentiment for Germany fell considerably by 7.5 points in August 2017 and now stands at 10.0 points. The indicator thus remains significantly below the long-term average of 23.8 points. The assessment of the current economic situation in Germany increased slightly by 0.3 points in August. The corresponding indicator now stands at 86.7 points.

"The significant decrease of the ZEW economic sentiment indicator reflects the high degree of nervousness over the future path of growth in Germany. Both weaker than expected German exports as well as the widening scandal in the German automobile sector in particular have helped contribute to this situation. Overall, the economic outlook still remains relatively stable at a fairly high level," comments ZEW President Professor Achim Wambach.