Regional confidence climbs as global uncertainty lingers

While global confidence remains cautious, Asia-Pacific's improving confidence, investment intentions and demand indicators set the region apart from many others and suggest it may be better positioned to withstand external headwinds.

- By Hazy Tran

Despite persistent global economic headwinds, finance professionals in Asia-Pacific reported a notable improvement in confidence in the fourth quarter of 2025, according to the latest Global Economic Conditions Survey released by the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) and the Institute of Management Accountants (IMA) in late January.

The quarterly survey, which gathered responses from nearly 1,200 accountants and finance professionals worldwide, shows that while global sentiment remains subdued, Asia-Pacific stands out as one of the few regions where confidence continued to recover heading into 2026.

“Accountants remain cautious entering 2026, amid a highly uncertain global backdrop,” said Jonathan Ashworth, chief economist at ACCA. “The global economy performed better than expected in 2025 and looks set to remain resilient in 2026 amid recent monetary easing by central banks, stock market gains, supportive fiscal policies in key countries, and the ongoing global AI boom. But there remains significant uncertainty, not least on the geopolitical front.”

“Key indicators continue to point to the risk of some moderation in global growth, although they are not indicative of a major slowdown. Nevertheless, with confidence low and corporate caution evident, were another major global shock to occur over coming quarters it could send businesses more firmly into retrenchment mode, raising the risk of a more pronounced slowing in global growth,” he added.

Globally, the survey’s confidence index remained weak by historical standards, reflecting ongoing geopolitical tensions, policy uncertainty, and uneven economic momentum. In contrast, confidence in Asia-Pacific rose for the second consecutive quarter and reached its highest level since the second quarter of 2024, diverging from largely flat or declining sentiment in North America and Western Europe.