2019 Q3 Free Zones World Economic Barometer

The results of the 2019Q3 round, conducted in mid-August, suggest that economic conditions in free zones around the globe have again deteriorated compared to the previous three months. The share of free zones reporting good economic conditions fell from 47 percent in 2019Q2 to 34 percent. 58 percent of free zones evaluate their current situation as normal, while the share of free zones experiencing poor conditions has increased slightly from 7 to 8 percent. This translates into an F-WEB Economic Conditions Index of 26, down from 40 in 2019Q2 and 51 in 2019Q1. Thus, the F-WEB indicator has dropped close to its lowest level since its launch. Expectations for the next three months have also become less optimistic. In 2019Q3 the indicator for expectations regarding future economic conditions continued the downward trend that is in place since summer 2018 and recorded a new low since the start of the F-WEB.