25 May 2012
2012- n° 132In May 2012, households’ confidence kept recovering Monthly consumer confidence survey - May 2012
In May 2012, households’ confidence about the economic situation kept recovering: the synthetic confidence index gained 1 point compared with April. So, it gained 9 points since November 2011. Recovering its late 2012 level, it still remained below its long-term average.
In May 2012, households’ confidence about the economic situation kept recovering: the synthetic confidence index gained 1 point compared with April. So, it gained 9 points since November 2011. Recovering its late 2012 level, it still remained below its long-term average.
Personal situation
Financial situation: improving
In May, households appreciation of their financial situation increased: the balance corresponding to past situation gained 3 points; that concerning future situation was almost stable (+1 point). Both balances remained however below their long-term averages. Households’ major purchases intentions were stable.
Savings: increasing
Households’ opinion about their current savings capacity improved : the corresponding balance rose by 5 points compared with April. The one about their savings capacity in the next 12 months increased too (+2 points), remaining slightly above its long-term average.
In May, households were less numerous to consider it opportune to save : after a sharp increase in April (+13 points), the corresponding balance of opinion contracted by 8 points, remaining above its long-term average.
graphiqueGraph1_english – Consumer synthetic index
tableauTab_eng – CONSUMER OPINION: synthetic index and opinion balances
| 2012 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average (1) | Feb. | Mar. | May | May | |
| Synthetic index (2) | 100 | 82 | 87 | 89 | 90 |
| Financial sit., past 12 m. | –18 | –31 | –27 | –26 | –23 |
| Financial sit., next 12 m. | –3 | –25 | –19 | –17 | –16 |
| Current saving capacity | 12 | 19 | 16 | 17 | 22 |
| Expected saving capacity | –10 | –11 | –12 | –8 | –6 |
| Savings intentions, next 12 m. | 20 | 24 | 22 | 35 | 27 |
| Major purchases intentions, next 12 m. | –14 | –24 | –24 | –25 | –25 |
| General economic sit., past 12 m. | –41 | –75 | –66 | –65 | –66 |
| General economic sit., next 12 m. | –23 | –51 | –40 | –37 | –33 |
| Unemployment, next 12 m. | 34 | 62 | 56 | 59 | 54 |
| Consumer prices, past 12 m. | –17 | 13 | 9 | 10 | –1 |
| Consumer prices, next 12 m. | –34 | –15 | –23 | –25 | –32 |
- (1) Average value between January 1987 and December 2011
- (2) This indicator is normalised in such a way that its average equals 100 and standard error equals 10 over the estimation period (1987-2011).
Economic situation in France
General economic situation in France: slightly increasing
In May, households opinion about expected general economic situation in France kept recovering. The corresponding balance gained 4 points in May, that is a cumulative 29 point increase since November 2011. The one about past general economic situation was almost stable (–1 point). These balances remained below their long-term averages.
Future unemployment: expectations decreasing
In May, households were less numerous than in April to forecast an increase in unemployment. This balance of opinion decreased by 5 points but remained noticeably higher than its long-term average.
Inflation’s appreciation: declining
Households were more numerous to consider that inflation had declined : this balance of opinion lost 11 points in May. The balance of their inflation anticipations decreased by 7 points, getting closer to its long-term average.
graphiqueGraph2_english – Balances on personnal financial situation and gen-eral economic situation
graphiquechomage_en – Households' unemployment expectations
graphiqueprix_en – Households' perception of prices
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