Consumers slightly less negative in September

Every month, Statistics Netherlands (CBS) asks people in the Netherlands about their views on the economy in general, their personal financial situation, and whether they believe it is a good time to make large purchases. The responses to these questions provide an indication of consumer confidence. This can range between -100 (meaning that all the responses were negative) to +100 (all responses were positive).

Consumer confidence in September 2026 remains below the long-term average for the last twenty years, at -12. The highest score since records began was +36 in January 2000, while the lowest score was -59, recorded in both September and October 2022.

Economic sentiment more negative

In September, consumers were slightly more negative about the economy than they were in August. The economic climate indicator fell from -57 to -58. Consumers were more negative about both the economic outlook for the next twelve months and the economic situation over the past twelve months.

Willingness to buy rose

Willingness to buy was up from -19 in August to -17 in September. Consumers were more positive about their financial outlook for the next twelve months, but their assessment of their personal financial situation over the previous twelve months remained unchanged. In September, consumers were also more positive about making larger purchases, such as furniture or electronics, than they were in August.