Euro Area Consumer Confidence Hits Highest Since February 2025

Euro Area consumer confidence was confirmed at -16.3 in March 2026, the lowest since October 2023, down from -12.3 in the prior month. Broader EU sentiment followed a similar path, dropping to -15.2, near a 2½-year low, from -11.8 in February and consistent with preliminary estimates. Rising inflation expectations linked to the Middle East conflict contributed to the decline, leading consumers to revise downward their expectations for the overall economic situation in their countries. Households also grew more pessimistic about their future finances and less willing to undertake major purchases over the next 12 months while their assessment of past finances remained generally stable.

Euro Area consumer confidence plunged by 4 points from a month earlier to -16.3 in March 2026, the lowest since October 2023, worse than forecasts of -14.4, according to flash estimates. The drop reflects growing concerns over the economic outlook, with Middle East tensions pushing energy prices higher and adding to inflationary pressures. In the broader European Union, consumer sentiment plummeted by 3.4 points to -15.2. Confidence in both the eurozone and the EU remains below their long-term averages.

Euro area consumer confidence was confirmed at -12.2 in February 2026, the highest reading since November 2024, up from -12.4 in the prior month. In the broader European Union, consumer sentiment stood at -11.7, hovering one-year highs, in line with the preliminary estimate, as consumers’ outlook for the overall economy improved, while views on past household finances and plans for big-ticket purchases over the next year softened. In the meantime, household financial expectations stayed largely stable.