The National Statistics Office has launched CAPEX 2026, the third round of its forward-looking survey on private corporate sector capital expenditure. The survey will run from October to December 2026 and collect information on recent actual spending, provisional spending in the current financial year and investment intentions for the next year.
Capital expenditure creates or upgrades productive assets such as plant, machinery, buildings and technology. Because private investment decisions can change before official annual accounts are available, a forward-looking survey can provide an earlier signal about business confidence and expected capacity creation.
The value of the exercise depends on response quality, coverage and the difference between intentions and realised investment. Planned spending can be delayed or cancelled because of financing conditions, demand, regulation or global shocks. The previous rounds therefore matter as a benchmark for how well stated plans track eventual expenditure.
For civil-services preparation, the survey is useful for understanding the investment cycle, the role of statistical systems in economic policy and the distinction between intentions and outcomes. CAPEX 2026 will generate evidence for analysis; its launch should not be read as proof that private investment has already accelerated.
