Consumer confidence falls back slightly

Consumer confidence declined marginally in July compared to one month earlier. The dip follows a period of ten months of sustained increase. Consumers are still slightly optimistic.

The decrease in consumer confidence was mainly due to more pessimism about the economic climate. Consumers’ opinions on the economic situation in the next twelve months in particular deteriorated. Their opinions on the past twelve months hardly changed.

Consumers became more pessimistic about the economic climate in July after the mood had improved in June. The level is still clearly higher than in May.

Consumers’ willingness to buy hardly changed in July and remained invariably negative. Their willingness to buy durable goods, on the other hand, improved distinctly. Consumers were more pessimistic about their own financial situation.

The European harmonised consumer price index is used to compare consumer confidence in the various member states of the European Union. According to this method, Dutch consumer confidence stood at 16 in June, i.e. 7 points up on April. An article in Focus (“Dutch consumers more positive than their European counterparts”), published on Monday 10 July elaborates on the European figures.

Consumer confidence, seasonally adjusted