Consumer confidence falters

After having reached a peak in January, consumer confidence fell marginally in February. Consumers were less positive about the economic situation in the Netherlands than they were last month.

Optimism about the economy in the twelve months to come was significantly lower in February than in January, when Dutch consumers were very positive about the future of the economy. Consumers’ opinions on the economic situation in the past twelve months remained unchanged in February.

Despite this month’s minor setback, willingness to buy was still on a high level, relative to the preceding years. Consumers’ opinions on their own financial situation in the past twelve months remained unchanged. On the other hand, they became less positive about their own financial situation in the next twelve months. They also thought it was a less favourable time to buy expensive items.

Consumer confidence reached a fairly high level. In February, the index stood at 10, which means optimists outnumber pessimists by 10 percent. On average, pessimists marginally outnumbered optimists over the past two decades. The long-term average stands at -3.

Consumer confidence, seasonally adjusted