Dutch Consumer Mood Weakest in Over 3 Years

Consumer confidence in the Netherlands fell further to -46 in May 2026 from -44 in April, marking the weakest reading since January 2023 and well below its long-term average of -11. The deterioration was mainly driven by a drop in willingness to buy, which slipped to -28 from -26. Perceptions of the economic situation over the past 12 months also worsened to -75 from -72, while expectations for the next 12 months improved slightly to -69 from -71. Households’ view of the broader economic climate remained broadly unchanged at -72, still deeply negative and reflecting persistently pessimistic sentiment about both current conditions and the outlook. Financial sentiment weakened further, with assessments of the past 12 months falling to -22 from -18 and expectations for the coming year edging down to -17 from -15. Willingness to make large purchases also deteriorated to -45 from -43, underscoring continued caution among consumers.

Consumer confidence in the Netherlands fell sharply to -44 in April 2026 from -30 in March, marking the lowest reading since February 2023 and the second-largest monthly decline since records began in 1986. Households’ assessment of the economic climate deteriorated significantly, with the index plunging to -72 from -54, reflecting markedly more pessimistic views of both current conditions and the outlook for the coming year. Perceptions of the economic situation over the past twelve months and expectations for the next twelve months both weakened further, contributing to the broad-based decline in sentiment. Willingness to buy also dropped sharply to -26 from -15, its steepest fall since April 2020, indicating a stronger reluctance among households to make large purchases. Views on personal financial conditions deteriorated as well, with consumers becoming more negative about both their financial situation over the past year and their expectations for the year ahead.

Consumer confidence in the Netherlands declined to -30 in March 2026 from -24 in February, the weakest reading since late September, and representing the largest monthly drop in four years. Households’ assessment of the economic climate deteriorated further, with the index falling to -54 from -42 in February, reflecting more pessimistic views of overall economic conditions. Perceptions of the economic situation over the past twelve months dropped to -55 from -47, and expectations for the next twelve months also weakened to -52 from -38, showing a broad-based decline in confidence. Households’ evaluation of their financial situation over the past year edged down to -10 from -8, while expectations for the next twelve months turned negative at -3 from 1. Willingness to buy decreased slightly to -15 from -11, indicating lower consumer readiness for purchases, and views on the timing for major purchases worsened to -32 from -28.