Publication - Statistics
Business Insights and Conditions in Scotland (wave 150): 26 February 2026
Business Insights and Conditions Survey (BICS) weighted Scotland data up to survey period 2 February to 15 February 2026 (Wave 150). The BICS provides statistics on how current conditions are affecting businesses in Scotland, including impact on financial performance, workforce, trade and resilience.
Key points for businesses with 10+ employees and a presence in Scotland:
- the top concern for businesses for March 2026 was falling demand of goods and services (13.5%); although an estimated 17.2% of businesses had no concerns
- for an estimated 24.4% of businesses the prices of goods or services bought in January 2026 increased compared with December 2025, and 11.3% increased the prices of goods and services they sold
- an estimated 18.3% of businesses were expecting to increase the prices of goods or services sold in March 2026; labour costs was the top factor for businesses considering price increases (reported by 36.5%)
- nearly a third (32.7%) of businesses reported that their turnover had decreased in January 2026 compared with the previous month, which was up compared to December 2025 (27.7%), but down compared with January 2025 (35.1%)
- in February 2026, an estimated 33.0% of businesses expected their business performance to increase over the next 12 months and an estimated 9.2% expected it to decrease
Note that the next BICS Scotland publication, with data to Wave 151, is scheduled for release on Thursday 12 March 2026.
Contact
For enquiries about this publication please contact:
Marina Curran
Business & Innovation Statistics
Office of the Chief Economic Adviser
email: industrystatistics@gov.scot
For general enquiries about Scottish Government statistics please contact:
Office of the Chief Statistician
email: statistics.enquiries@gov.scot