Germany’s GfK Consumer Climate Indicator dropped to –33.3 heading into May 2026, from a marginally revised –28.1 in April, marking the weakest level since February 2023. The decline reflects mounting pressure on households as rising energy prices push inflation higher and are expected to climb further if the Iran conflict persists. Income expectations plunged sharply to –24.4 (from –6.3 in April), while economic expectations also deteriorated to –13.7 (from –6.9), nearing levels seen at the onset of the Ukraine war in 2022. Consumer concerns are rising that Germany’s fragile economic recovery could face a significant setback if the conflict continues and policy measures prove ineffective. Meanwhile, willingness to buy fell to a two-year low of –14.4 (from –10.9), highlighting subdued consumption, while the propensity to save, though lower, remained elevated at 16.1 (from 18.5), signaling continued caution among consumers. source: GfK Group

Consumer Confidence in Germany decreased to -33.30 points in May from -28.10 points in April of 2026. Consumer Confidence in Germany averaged 0.07 points from 2001 until 2026, reaching an all time high of 16.80 points in March of 2001 and a record low of -42.80 points in October of 2022. This page provides the latest reported value for - Germany Consumer Confidence - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term prediction, economic calendar, survey consensus and news. Germany GfK Consumer Climate - data, historical chart, forecasts and calendar of releases - was last updated on May of 2026.

Consumer Confidence in Germany decreased to -33.30 points in May from -28.10 points in April of 2026. Consumer Confidence in Germany is expected to be -34.00 points by the end of this quarter, according to Trading Economics global macro models and analysts expectations. In the long-term, the Germany GfK Consumer Climate is projected to trend around -24.00 points in 2027 and -20.00 points in 2028, according to our econometric models.



Calendar GMT Reference Actual Previous Consensus TEForecast
2026-03-26 07:00 AM
GfK Consumer Confidence
Apr -28.0 -24.8 -26.5 -27
2026-04-27 06:00 AM
GfK Consumer Confidence
May -33.3 -28.1 -29.5 -30
2026-05-22 06:00 AM
GfK Consumer Confidence
Jun -33.3 -34


Related Last Previous Unit Reference
Bank Interest Rate 3.98 3.95 percent Mar 2026
GfK Consumer Confidence -33.30 -28.10 points May 2026
Consumer Credit 237345.00 238008.00 EUR Million Dec 2025
Consumer Spending 484.81 482.32 EUR Billion Dec 2025
Disposable Personal Income 670.87 668.06 EUR Billion Dec 2025
Gasoline Prices 2.51 2.47 USD/Liter Apr 2026
Households Debt to GDP 49.10 49.20 percent of GDP Sep 2025
Households Debt to Income 75.29 77.75 percent Dec 2024
Personal Savings 10.30 10.50 percent Dec 2025
Private Sector Credit 3901400.00 3884400.00 EUR Million Feb 2026
Retail Sales MoM -2.00 -0.30 percent Mar 2026
Retail Sales YoY -2.00 0.70 percent Mar 2026


Germany GfK Consumer Climate
The GfK Consumer Climate Indicator is based on a survey of 2000 individuals age 14 and above. The questionnaire focuses on income expectations, buying propensity and savings. The components of the indicator are calculated as the difference between positive and negative answers to the questions asked. Their value can vary between minus 100 and plus 100 points with 0 representing the long term average.
Actual Previous Highest Lowest Dates Unit Frequency
-33.30 -28.10 16.80 -42.80 2001 - 2026 points Monthly
SA

News Stream
German Consumer Morale Hits Three-Year Low
Germany’s GfK Consumer Climate Indicator dropped to –33.3 heading into May 2026, from a marginally revised –28.1 in April, marking the weakest level since February 2023. The decline reflects mounting pressure on households as rising energy prices push inflation higher and are expected to climb further if the Iran conflict persists. Income expectations plunged sharply to –24.4 (from –6.3 in April), while economic expectations also deteriorated to –13.7 (from –6.9), nearing levels seen at the onset of the Ukraine war in 2022. Consumer concerns are rising that Germany’s fragile economic recovery could face a significant setback if the conflict continues and policy measures prove ineffective. Meanwhile, willingness to buy fell to a two-year low of –14.4 (from –10.9), highlighting subdued consumption, while the propensity to save, though lower, remained elevated at 16.1 (from 18.5), signaling continued caution among consumers.
2026-04-27
German Consumer Morale Weakest in Two Years
Germany’s GfK Consumer Climate Indicator dropped to –28 heading into April 2026, from a marginally revised –24.8 in the previous period, and coming in worse than market expectations of –26.5. This is the weakest reading since March 2024, as households brace for a surge in energy costs linked to the Iran conflict, which could fuel inflation. Economic expectations deteriorated sharply to –6.9 (from 4.3 in March), as consumers worry that the German economy’s slow recovery could be derailed if the conflict persists. Income expectations also slid into negative territory at –6.3 (vs 6.3), reflecting concerns that rising energy costs may erode purchasing power. The willingness to buy declined further to –10.9 (vs –9.3), signaling subdued consumption, while the propensity to save remained elevated at 18.5 (vs 18.9), underscoring continued caution among households.
2026-03-26
German Consumer Morale Unexpectedly Falls
Germany’s GfK Consumer Climate Indicator dropped to -24.7 heading into March 2026 from a marginally revised -24.2 in the prior period, missing market estimates of -23.1. Economic expectations weakened (4.3 vs 6.6 in February), reflecting a more cautious outlook amid persistent uncertainty. The willingness to buy also deteriorated sharply (-9.3 vs -4.0), while the propensity to save rose to a record high of 18.9 (vs 17.9), suggesting households remain defensive. In contrast, income expectations improved (6.5 vs 5.1), likely supported by easing inflation and wage gains. “Even though the economy appears to be recovering slightly, consumers remain skeptical,” said Rolf Bürkl, head of consumer climate at NIM. “Geopolitical tensions, but also challenges in social policy, are likely to keep uncertainty and thus also the willingness to save high,” he added.
2026-02-25