The data indicates a modest positive shift in payment behaviors within the North East business community. While the improvement of 3.8 points is statistically significant, it's important to recognize that it represents only a small step towards a more efficient and timely payment environment, which has obvious impact on business liquidity (check your cashflow with this late payment calculator). The reduction in sample size (128 to 118 companies) between surveys might skew the results; fewer businesses contributed to the 2025 average.
One-line summary: The North East saw a slight improvement in payment practices, moving from an average score of 58.9 in 2020 (128 companies) to 62.7 in 2025 (118 companies).