Dutch Consumer Mood Remains Negative

Consumer confidence in the Netherlands declined slightly to -24 in February 2026 from -23 in January, pointing to a modest deterioration in household sentiment. Views on the economic climate weakened further, with the index falling to -42 from -40 in January, reflecting more pessimistic assessments of overall economic conditions. Expectations for the economic situation over the next twelve months also weakened to -38 from -32, although perceptions of the past twelve months improved somewhat to -47 from -49. Meanwhile, households’ assessment of their financial situation over the past year strengthened slightly to -8 from -9, while expectations for the next twelve months softened to 1 from 2. Willingness to buy edged up to -11 from -12, indicating a small improvement, while views on whether it is a favorable time for major purchases remained unchanged at -28.

Consumer confidence in the Netherlands declined to -23 in January 2026 from -21 in December, signaling a further deterioration in household sentiment. Views on the economic climate weakened notably, with the index falling to -40 in January from -35 in December, reflecting more pessimistic assessments of economic conditions. Perceptions of the economic situation over the past twelve months also worsened to -49 from -46, while expectations for the next twelve months deteriorated further to -32 from -24. Meanwhile, households’ views of their financial situation over the past year improved slightly to -9 from -10, although expectations for the next twelve months softened to 2 from 4. Willingness to buy edged down to -12 from -11, and perceptions of whether it is a favorable time for major purchases also deteriorated to -28 from -26.

Consumer confidence in the Netherlands was unchanged at -21 in December 2025, holding steady from November and indicating persistently subdued sentiment. Views on the economic climate deteriorated slightly, with the index edging down to -35 from -34 in November, as expectations for the broader economy weakened. Assessments of the economic situation over the past twelve months improved marginally to -46 from -47, while expectations for the next twelve months became more pessimistic, slipping to -24 from -21. Households’ perceptions of their financial situation over the past year improved notably to -10 from -14, although expectations for the next twelve months eased slightly to 4 from 5. Willingness to buy rose modestly to -11 from -12, and views on whether it is a favorable time for major purchases improved to -26 from -27.