Dutch consumer equally apprehensive

Consumers were slightly less negative about their own financial situation in January. Their opinions on their financial situation over the next twelve months improved most. Over the past few months, the indicator reflecting consumers’ opinions about their own financial situation in the near future has behaved rather erratically. Consumers were also slightly less pessimistic about their own financial situation over the past twelve months and they thought the time was marginally more favourable to purchase expensive items. As a result, the component indicator willingness to buy climbed 2 points to reach -18.

The slight improvement in consumers’ willingness to buy was cancelled out by a marginal drop in consumers’ confidence in the economic climate. Opinions on the economic situation over the past twelve months were clearly more pessimistic than in December. Consumers’ opinions on the economic situation over the next twelve months improved marginally.

Consumer confidence, seasonally adjusted