October 2026: Global consumer confidence falls sharply

Ipsos’ Global Consumer Confidence Index is down 1.1 points this month and sits at 47.3. The index fell for the second time in the past three months and is now 0.7 point lower than its reading from this time last year.

Sentiment is now more than two points lower than it was prior to the start of the Iran war and remains significantly lower than it was pre-war in 18 countries.

Among 30 economies measured, just two countries show significant gains in consumer sentiment, while eleven show a notable decline. The Current, Investment, and Expectations sub-indices all declined sharply, while the Jobs sub-index showed stability.

Based only on the “legacy 20 countries” tracked since March 2010, the Index would read at 45.1, down 1.2 points from September.

Sentiment in the United States fell sharply this month (-5.3 points) and now sits at its lowest point since October 2011. Double-digit drops in both major and household purchasing comfort were drivers of this month’s downward shift.

Consumer confidence also declined in Europe. The Netherlands (-4.8 points), Sweden (-4.7 points), Great Britain (-2.9 points), France (-2.9 points), and Belgium (-2.1 points) are all down significantly. No European country showed a significant increase this month.

The Global Consumer Confidence Index is the average of all surveyed countries’ Overall or “National” indices. This month’s installment is based on a monthly survey of more than 21,000 adults under the age of 75 from 30 countries conducted on Ipsos’ Global Advisor online platform. This survey was fielded between September 25 and October 9, 2026.

Consumer sentiment in 30 countries

Among the 30 countries, India (64.3) holds the highest National Index score. India is the only country this month to hold a National Index score of 60 or higher.

Eight other countries now show a National Index at or above the 50-point mark: Malaysia (57.8), Singapore (55.8), Sweden (55.3), Brazil (54.1), Indonesia (53.4), Peru (52.9), Mexico (52.7), and Thailand (50.6).

In contrast, five countries now show a National Index below the 40-point mark: Belgium (39.5), Japan (39.0), Chile (38.8), France (37.6), and Türkiye (34.9).

Compared to 12 months ago, fourteen countries now show a significant drop in consumer sentiment. In contrast, just six countries show a significant increase from October 2025, most of all in Hungary (+11.3 points).

Trends

Ipsos’ Global Consumer Confidence Index (based on all 30 countries surveyed) currently reads at 47.3. Based only on the “legacy 20 countries” tracked since March 2010, it would read at 45.1.

The Current sub-index, reflecting consumers’ perceptions of the economic climate and their current purchasing, jobs, and investment confidence, declined 1.3 points this month and is now at 37.7. In total, four countries show a significant month-over-month gain (at least 2 points) in their Current sub-index, while eleven countries show a significant loss. 

The Investment sub-index, indicative of consumers’ perception of the investment climate, is down 1.6 points this month and is now at 40.1. Just three countries show a significant gain in their Investment sub-index this month, compared to twelve countries who show a significant loss. 

The Expectations sub-index, indicative of consumer expectations about future economic conditions, declined 1.4 points this month and sits at 55.3. Just two countries show significant gains in their Expectations sub-index, while eleven countries show significant losses.

The Jobs sub-index, reflecting perceptions about jobs security and the jobs market, is stable this month (-0.2 point) and sits 57.4. Six countries show significant gains in their Jobs sub-index, and six countries show significant losses.

Of note, Australia, France, the Netherlands, Sweden, and the U.S. show significant losses (of at least 2 points) across all four sub-indices this month. In contrast, Malaysia is the only country to show significant month-over-month gains across all four sub-indices.