Global consumer confidence up for the eighth month in a row

Ipsos’s Global Consumer Confidence Index shows a month-to-month gain of nine-tenths of a point, sitting just 2.3 points below its pre-pandemic level of January 2020. Of note, this month’s Expectations Index, indicative of consumers’ outlook on their local economy, financial situation, and employment, is back to its pre-pandemic level and slightly above its 11-year historical average.   
The Global Consumer Confidence Index is the average of 24 countries’ National Indices. It is based on a monthly survey of more than 17,500 adults under the age of 75 conducted on Ipsos’ Global Advisor online platform. This survey was fielded between April 23 and May 7, 2021.
Ten of the 24 countries surveyed show significant growth in their National Index when compared to last month: the United States (+3.7), Israel (+3.4), Great Britain (+2.7), Poland (+2.6), France (+1.9), Hungary (+1.9), Saudi Arabia (+1.8), Italy (+1.7), Mexico (+1.7), and Spain (+1.6). Only two countries display a significant drop: India (-3.4) and Turkey (-2.1).

National Index Trends

The Global Consumer Confidence Index reads at 46.4, up from 45.5 in April, marking six straight months of gains.

• Eight countries have a National Index above 50: China (72.6), Saudi Arabia (65.7), the U.S. (59.5), Sweden (57.3), Australia (56.6), Great Britain (54.2), India (53.0) and Germany (52.4).
• Only two countries have a National Index below 35: Turkey (30.0) and Argentina (34.4).
• Once again, the three countries in the survey showing the highest levels of month-over-month growth (the U.S., Israel, and Great Britain) are also those leading in vaccination rollout as per Oxford University data.

Expectations, Jobs, and Investment Index Trends

For the third month in a row, the Expectations, Jobs, and Investment Indices all display month-on-month gains. Six countries see significant gains (at least 1.5 points) across all three indices: Great Britain, Israel, Poland, Saudi Arabia, Spain, and the U.S. Meanwhile, India and Turkey record significant drops on all three.

• The global Jobs Index is up 1.2 points from April 2021, currently reading at 52.1. It is 4.3 points short of its reading of January 2020. Israel, the U.S., and Hungary display the largest gains in this measure over last month while Turkey and India are the only markets to post significant month-over-month losses. Compared to pre-pandemic levels, China and Saudi Arabia stand out with gains of more than 3 points while Mexico and Brazil are down by more than 10 points.
• After gaining 0.6 points from last month, the global Investment Index currently reads at 40.5. The Investment Index now sits 1.9 points behind its January 2020 reading. Eight countries post significant month-on-month gains, most of all Israel, Great Britain, and the U.S. India shows a drop of 4.7 points from last month.
• The Expectations Index sits at 57.1 with a gain of 0.9 point over last month, surpassing its level of January 2020 by 0.1 point. Eleven of the 24 countries post significant gains over April, most of all Poland, France and Great Britain. Significant drops since last month are seen in Turkey, Argentina, and India. Compared to January 2020, changes range from an uptick of more than 9 points in Australia to a drop of more than 11 points in Argentina.

Visit our interactive portal, Consolidated Economic Indicators for graphic comparisons and trended data pertaining to the Ipsos Global Consumer Confidence Index and sub-indices—and all the questions on which they are based.