Understand how European businesses access finance

The Survey on the Access to Finance of Enterprises (SAFE) tracks how firms across the euro area experience financing conditions, business activity and inflation expectations — every quarter, independently and in strict confidence.

Conducted on behalf of the ECB and the European Commission

Your responses help shape European financial policy

Every quarter, thousands of businesses across Europe share their experience of financing conditions. Your answers stay confidential and are used only in aggregate to inform ECB and European Commission policy.

39th

Latest survey round, completed 2026

Surveys per year since 2024

20+

Euro area countries covered

2009

Year the survey began

About SAFE

Measuring the financial pulse of European enterprises

SAFE provides information on the latest developments in the financial situation of enterprises, documents trends in the need for and availability of external financing, and measures firms’ expectations about selling prices, costs, employment and euro area inflation. Results are broken down by firm size, sector, country, firm age, financial autonomy and ownership.

Survey Themes

What the survey measures

Financing Conditions

Firms report on bank loan interest rates and other lending conditions, tracking price and non-price factors that shape access to finance.

Economic Activity

Firms describe changes in turnover, profits and the wider challenges affecting their business over the past quarter.

Firms’ Expectations

Firms share their expectations for selling prices, non-labour input costs, wages and euro area inflation across several horizons.

Mission

Independent, confidential and conducted every quarter

Since 2009, SAFE has given policymakers a direct line to the real economy — capturing how firms across the euro area experience credit conditions, growth and inflation as they happen, quarter after quarter.

Confidentiality

Your individual answers stay confidential and are only ever used in combination with other responses, in aggregate form.

Broad Coverage

Results cover euro area countries every quarter, plus all EU countries and some neighbouring countries once a year with the European Commission.

Rigorous Methodology

Findings are broken down by firm size, sector, country, firm age, financial autonomy and ownership for a detailed, reliable picture.

Get Involved

Have you been contacted to take part?

If you have received an official letter or invitation from the ECB or European Commission, we would greatly appreciate your participation. If you have any questions about the survey, please email survey.accesstofinance@ecb.europa.eu.