24 April 2012
2012- n° 108In April 2012, households’ confidence was almost stable Monthly consumer confidence survey - April 2012
In April 2012, households’ confidence about the economic situation was almost stable: the synthetic confidence index gained 1 point compared with March. Despite a 7 point increase since November 2011, it remained clearly below its long-term average.
In April 2012, households’ confidence about the economic situation was almost stable: the synthetic confidence index gained 1 point compared with March. Despite a 7 point increase since November 2011, it remained clearly below its long-term average.
Personal situation
Financial situation: increasing
In April, households appreciation of their past and future financial situation increased: the corresponding balances gained 2 points each, remaining however below their long-term averages.
Savings: sharply increasing
Households were markedly more numerous than in March to consider it opportune to save (+11 points). The corresponding balance thus reached its highest level since October 2007. So, they considered it a bit less opportune to make major purchases (-1 point).
Households’ opinion about their savings capacity in the next 12 months improved: the corresponding balance increased by 4 points, being thus slightly above its long-term average. Their opinion about their current savings capacity is almost stable (+1 point).
graphiqueGraph1_english – Consumer synthetic index
tableauTab_eng – CONSUMER OPINION: synthetic index and opinion balances
| 2012 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average (1) | Jan. | Feb. | Mar. | April | |
| Synthetic index (2) | 100 | 82 | 82 | 87 | 88 |
| Financial sit., past 12 m. | –18 | –29 | –31 | –28 | –26 |
| Financial sit., next 12 m. | –3 | –27 | –25 | –19 | –17 |
| Current saving capacity | 12 | 19 | 19 | 16 | 17 |
| Expected saving capacity | –10 | –13 | –11 | –12 | –8 |
| Savings intentions, next 12 m. | 20 | 21 | 25 | 22 | 33 |
| Major purchases intentions, next 12 m. | –14 | –29 | –24 | –24 | –25 |
| General economic sit., past 12 m. | –41 | –72 | –75 | –66 | –65 |
| General economic sit., next 12 m. | –23 | –56 | –51 | –40 | –39 |
| Unemployment, next 12 m. | 34 | 65 | 63 | 58 | 60 |
| Consumer prices, past 12 m. | –17 | 12 | 14 | 10 | 11 |
| Consumer prices, next 12 m. | –34 | –15 | –14 | –21 | –22 |
- (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 April, balances corresponding to households’ opinion about the past and expected general economic situation in France gained 1 point each. They remained clearly below their long-term averages.
Future unemployment: expectations increasing
In April, households were a bit more numerous than in March to forecast an increase in unemployment. This balance of opinion rose by 6 points, remaining noticeably higher than its long-term average.
Inflation’s appreciation: almost stable
In April, the balance corresponding to households’opinion about past inflation gained 1 point and recovered its November 2011 level. The one corrsponding to inflation anticipations lost 1 point in April. It lost 11 points since November 2011 and reached its lowest level since November 2010.
graphiqueGraph2_english – Balances on personnal financial situation and general economic situation
graphiquechomage_en – Households' unemployment expectations
graphiqueprix_en – Households' perception of prices
Pour en savoir plus
