27 May 2014
2014- n° 121In May 2014, households’ confidence remained stable Monthly consumer confidence survey - May 2014
In May 2014, households’ confidence was stable. The synthetic confidence index remained at its April level, widely below its long-period average.
In May 2014, households’ confidence was stable. The synthetic confidence index remained at its April level, widely below its long-period average.
Personal situation
Future financial situation: increasing
In May, households’ opinion of their future financial situation increased by 5 points, after a 9 points drop in April, and came back to last summer’s level. Their appreciation of their past financial situation was almost stable (-1 point), and so was the share of households to consider it was a suitable time to make major purchases (+1 point).
These three balances remained clearly below their long term average.
Savings: expectations decreasing anew
Households’ opinion of their current saving capacity was stable. However, their opinion of their future saving capacity decreased (–3 points), after a fall in April (-4 points). These two balances remained above their long term average.
The share of households to consider it was an opportune time to save was almost stable: the corresponding balance rose by 1 point. It remained above its long term average.
graphiquegraph1_english – Consumer synthetic index
tableauTab_eng – CONSUMER OPINION: synthetic index and opinion balances
| 2014 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Av. (1) | Feb. | March | April | May | |
| Synthetic index (2) | 100 | 85 | 88 | 85 | 85 |
| Financial sit., past 12 m. | –19 | –33 | –29 | –32 | –33 |
| Financial sit., next 12 m. | –4 | –19 | –19 | –28 | –23 |
| Current saving capacity | 8 | 10 | 17 | 18 | 18 |
| Expected saving capacity | –10 | –7 | 2 | –2 | –5 |
| Savings intentions, next 12 m. | 18 | 22 | 22 | 20 | 21 |
| Major purchases intentions, next 12 m. | –14 | –29 | –26 | –29 | –28 |
| General economic sit., past 12 m. | –43 | –72 | –69 | –70 | –70 |
| General economic sit., next 12 m. | –23 | –51 | –48 | –46 | –50 |
| Unemployment, next 12 m. | 32 | 55 | 54 | 56 | 57 |
| Consumer prices, past 12 m. | –13 | –20 | –24 | –24 | –23 |
| Consumer prices, next 12 m. | –34 | –23 | –29 | –29 | –25 |
- (1) Average value between January 1987 and December 2013
- (2) This indicator is normalised in such a way that its average equals 100 and standard error equals 10 over the estimation period (1987-2013).
Economic situation in France
General economic situation in France: expectations decreasing
Households’ opinion of the future general economic situation in France worsened: the corresponding balance lost 4 points, after rising by 5 points since February. Their appreciation of the past general economic situation was stable. These two balances remained distinctly below their long term average.
Future unemployment: almost stable
In May, the share of households to think unemployment will increase was almost stable, the corresponding balance increasing by 1 point. It still stood widely above its long term average.
Future inflation: increasing
The share of households to think prices went up was almost stable in May (+1 point). Thus the corresponding balance was below its long term average, and this since the beginning of the year.
However, households’ expectations concerning future inflation increased. The corresponding balance rose by 4 points and remained above its long term average.
graphiquegraph2_english – Balances on personal financial situation and general economic situation
graphiquechomage_en – Households' unemployment expectations
graphiqueprix_en – Households' perception of prices
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