Consumer Confidence National Index Reaches All-Time High
Setting an all-time high, this month’s global Consumer Confidence National Index has risen to 50.5. The National Index is a measure of consumer attitudes in 24 countries regarding the current and future state of local economies, personal finances, savings, and confidence to make large investments fielded monthly by Ipsos Public Affairs.
These findings are based on data from Thomson Reuters/Ipsos’ Primary Consumer Sentiment Index (PCSI) collected in an ongoing survey that has conducted 17,500 interviews monthly since January 2010.
Overall, ten countries experienced significant 3-month increases (≥+1.5 percentage points) in their National Index scores with Argentina (+6.4), Mexico (+5.2), and Australia (+3.2) recording the largest gains. Conversely, France (-2.3) and Saudi Arabia (-1.7) saw the largest decreases.
China (69.6), India (66.2), Sweden (62.7), and the U.S. (60.2) were once again atop the National Index with China (+2.5) being the only to experience any significant change. Italy (37.9) remained the low scorer among the index’s countries and the country to record a score below 40.
Related to the primary National Index are three sub-indices including the Jobs Index reflecting perceptions of job security, the Expectations Index reflecting economic expectations, and the Investment Index reflecting perceptions of the country’s investment climate.
September’s 2017 global Jobs Index score shows a 3-month increase of 0.9 with significant increases recorded in eleven countries and the largest gains experienced in Argentina (+4.9), Belgium (+4.4), and Mexico (+3.7). Only three countries experienced significant decreases including Sweden (-3.5), France (-2.9), and the U.S. (-2.1). Overall, Germany (71.5) again measured the highest score followed closely by China (70.5) and Sweden (69.7). Brazil, similarly, was once again the only country to fall below 45 with a score of 31.1.
The global Expectations Index score experienced a 3-month increase of 0.8 this month after falling in September and now stands at 58.5. Seven countries experienced significant increases in their scores including Argentina (+4.7), Mexico (+2.9), South Africa (+2.7), Hungary (+2.3), Poland (+2.2), Italy (+1.8), and Australia (+1.5). Among the countries in the index, France (-2.1) was the only nation to experience a significant decrease in their score. China (72.3) and India (72.3) continued atop the index while Turkey (49.0) and South Africa (48.8) remained at its bottom.
Finally, the global Investment Index experienced a 3-month increase of 1.7 points ticking up to 43.8. Eleven countries record significant increases with the largest gains seen in Argentina (+7.7), Mexico (+7.0), and Australia (+5.5). Three countries significantly decreased including France (-2.5), Saudi Arabia (-2.5), and the U.S. (-1.5). India (68.9), China (67.8), and Sweden (59.5) again recorded the highest scores. Conversely, Italy (28.2) and Japan (28.8) reported the lowest scores.
