Consumers more pessimistic about economic climate

The mood among consumers has deteriorated over the past few months. This was also the case in June. The consumer confidence index dropped to -18, i.e. 2 points down on May. Consumers’ opinions on the economic climate in general were more negative, but their willingness-to-buy improved marginally.

Consumer confidence

Consumers’ opinions on the economic climate were obviously more negative in June than in May. This component indicator of consumer confidence fell by 7 points to -29. Consumers’ opinions on the economic situation in the past 12 months deteriorated most and dropped 10 points. Dutch consumers were also more negative about the economic situation for the next 12 months.

Although consumers were more pessimistic about the economy, their willingness-to-buy improved slightly. This component indicator of consumer confidence stood at -10 in June; i.e. 2 points up on May. Despite the fact that the mood has lifted somewhat, willingness-to-buy is still low. Consumers were less negative about their own financial situation in the past 12 months in June. They also considered June a more favourable month to purchase expensive items than May. Opinions on their own financial situation in the next 12 months hardly changed.

Consumer confidence, seasonally adjusted