Consumer confidence unchanged
After September’s sharp decline, consumer confidence remained unchanged in October. Dutch consumers were slightly less negative about the economic climate. Willingness to buy, on the other hand, decreased somewhat. On balance, the consumer confidence indicator remained at -1. Relative to September, consumers have become somewhat more positive about the future and somewhat more negative about the past.
Structure consumer confidence
The slightly more positive attitude towards the economic climate in the Netherlands can be attributed almost entirely to consumers’ opinions on the economic situation in the next twelve months, which improved significantly. Nevertheless, the majority of Dutch consumers are pessimistic about their immediate economic future for the second month in a row, following a two-year period in which optimism prevailed. Consumers were slightly more pessimistic in October about the economic climate over the past twelve months.
Consumers’ willingness to buy diminished slightly. In September, willingness to buy already deteriorated considerably. At that time, it was mainly caused by increased pessimism concerning their own financial situation. Willingness to buy declined marginally in October, caused in particular by the fact that consumers think it is not such a good time to buy expensive goods. They are also a bit more negative about their own financial situation in the past twelve months. On the other hand, consumers became slightly more positive about their own financial situation in the twelve months to come.
Consumer confidence, seasonally adjusted
