Informations rapides
26 January 2012
2012- n° 30
In January 2012, households’ confidence is almost stable Monthly consumer confidence survey - January 2012

In December 2011, households’ confidence about the economic situation increased slightly: the synthetic confidence index gained one point compared with December. It remains clearly below its long-term average.

Informations rapides
No 30
Paru le :Paru le26/01/2012
Prochaine parution le : 25/07/2025 at 08:45 - July 2025

In December 2011, households’ confidence about the economic situation increased slightly: the synthetic confidence index gained one point compared with December. It remains clearly below its long-term average.

Personal situation

Financial situation: slightly increasing

In January, households appreciation of their past and future financial situation slightly increased: both corresponding balances gained 1 point each, standing at the level of November 2011.

Savings: slightly increasing too

Households’ opinion about their current saving capacity rose in January (+2 points), while the one about their savings capacity in the next 12 months slightly decreased.

Households considered it more opportune than in December to save: the corresponding balance of opinion increased by 1 point and went close to its long term average. So, households’ opinion on the timeliness to make major purchases lost 3 points with respect to December.

Graph1_englishConsumer synthetic index

Tab_engCONSUMER OPINION: synthetic index and opinion balances

Balance of responses, seasonally ajusted
CONSUMER OPINION: synthetic index and opinion balances (Balance of responses, seasonally ajusted)
2011 2012
Average (1) Oct. Nov. Dec. Janv.
Synthetic index (2) 100 84 81 80 81
Financial sit., past 12 m. –18 –28 –29 –30 –29
Financial sit., next 12 m. –3 –24 –28 –29 –28
Current saving capacity 12 19 17 17 19
Expected saving capacity –10 –9 –13 –13 –14
Savings intentions, next 12 m. 20 18 16 18 19
Major purchases intentions, next 12 m. –14 –23 –27 –26 –29
General economic sit., past 12 m. –41 –74 –75 –74 –72
General economic sit., next 12 m. –23 –56 –63 –61 –57
Unemployment, next 12 m. 34 59 69 69 66
Consumer prices, past 12 m. –17 13 11 12 12
Consumer prices, next 12 m. –34 –21 –10 –12 –14
  • (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 (1987-2010).

Economic situation in France

General economic situation in France: still increasing

In January, households’ opinion about the past and expected general economic situation in France rose again. After having increased respectively by 1 and 2 points in December, the corresponding balances gained 2 and 4 points. However, both balances of opinion remained clearly below their long-term averages.

Future unemployment: more optimistic expectations

In January, households were less numerous than in December to forecast an increase in unemployment. The level of this balance remained much higher than its long term average.

Inflation’s appreciation: decreasing anticipations

Households’ opinion about past inflation stabilized in January. Nevertheless, their forecasts about inflation decreased by 2 points with respect to December.

Graph2_englishBalances on personnal financial situation and general economic situation

chomage_enHouseholds' unemployment expectations

prix_enHouseholds' perception of prices

Pour en savoir plus

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