27 February 2014
2014- n° 45In February 2014, households’ confidence decreased slightly (-1 point) Monthly consumer confidence survey - February 2014
In February 2014, households’ confidence decreased slightly. The synthetic confidence index lost one point compared to January.
In February 2014, households’ confidence decreased slightly. The synthetic confidence index lost one point compared to January.
Personal situation
Past financial situation : increasing slightly
In February, households’ opinion of their past financial situation increased by 2 points. However, their appreciation of their future financial situation was almost stable (–1 point). The share of households to consider it was a suitable time to make major purchases in February was almost stable as well (–1 point). These three balances remained clearly below their long term average.
Savings: expectations declining
In February, households’ opinion of their current saving capacity decreased (–3 points). Similarly, their opinion of their future saving capacity deteriorated (–6 points), after an improvement in January (+4 points). These two balances remained above their long term average.
Households thinking it was an opportune time to save were less numerous than in January: the corresponding balance dropped by 2 points, after gaining 5 points the previous month. It remained above its long term average.
graphiqueGraph1_english – Consumer synthetic index
tableauTab_eng – CONSUMER OPINION: synthetic index and opinion balances
| 2013 | 2014 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average (1) | Nov. | Dec. | Jan. | Feb. | |
| Synthetic index (2) | 100 | 84 | 85 | 86 | 85 |
| Financial sit., past 12 m. | –19 | –34 | –34 | –35 | –33 |
| Financial sit., next 12 m. | –4 | –19 | –20 | –18 | –19 |
| Current saving capacity | 8 | 13 | 11 | 13 | 10 |
| Expected saving capacity | –10 | –5 | –5 | –1 | –7 |
| Savings intentions, next 12 m. | 18 | 16 | 18 | 23 | 21 |
| Major purchases intentions, next 12 m. | –14 | –29 | –29 | –28 | –29 |
| General economic sit., past 12 m. | –43 | –74 | –73 | –72 | –73 |
| General economic sit., next 12 m. | –23 | –53 | –49 | –46 | –51 |
| Unemployment, next 12 m. | 32 | 58 | 49 | 53 | 56 |
| Consumer prices, past 12 m. | –13 | –6 | –7 | –13 | –19 |
| Consumer prices, next 12 m. | –34 | –23 | –17 | –17 | –23 |
- (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
After two months of improvement, households’ opinion of the future general economic situation in France shrank in February (–5 points). Their appreciation of the past general economic situation was however almost stable (–1 point). These two balances remained distinctly below their long term average.
Future unemployment: fears rising once again
Households were more concerned regarding future employment for the second consecutive month. The corresponding balance gained 3 points in February, after it already increased by 4 points in January. It still stood above its long term average.
Inflation’s appreciation: significantly decreasing
In February, the share of households to think prices went up continued to fall (–6 points, as in January). The corresponding balance was the lowest one since March 2010 and thus went beyond its long term average. Households’ expectations concerning inflation similarly slipped, the corresponding balance decreasing by 6 points but remained above its long term average.
graphiqueGraph2_english – Balances on personnal financial situation and general economic situation
graphiquechomage_en – Households' unemployment expectations
graphiqueprix_en – Households' perception of prices
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