The UK GfK Consumer Confidence Index fell to -21 in March 2026 from -19 in February, marking its lowest level in nearly a year as concerns over the Middle East conflict’s impact on inflation and growth weighed on sentiment. The largest decline came in households’ assessment of the general economic outlook for the next 12 months, which dropped 6 points, while views of personal finances remained steady. The report also showed a 4-point fall in willingness to make major purchases and a 6-point rise in the savings rate. British consumers faced surging energy costs, with petrol prices up roughly 50% since the Iran war began, while government support for households reliant on heating oil remained limited. Neil Bellamy, Consumer Insights Director at GfK, said: “People simply do not feel the economy is robust enough to ride out the knock-on effects from the Middle East conflict.”. source: GfK Group

Consumer Confidence in the United Kingdom decreased to -21 points in March from -19 points in February of 2026. Consumer Confidence in the United Kingdom averaged -11.15 points from 1981 until 2026, reaching an all time high of 10.00 points in June of 1987 and a record low of -49.00 points in September of 2022. This page provides the latest reported value for - United Kingdom Consumer Confidence - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term prediction, economic calendar, survey consensus and news. United Kingdom Consumer Confidence - data, historical chart, forecasts and calendar of releases - was last updated on March of 2026.

Consumer Confidence in the United Kingdom decreased to -21 points in March from -19 points in February of 2026. Consumer Confidence in the United Kingdom is expected to be -26.00 points by the end of this quarter, according to Trading Economics global macro models and analysts expectations. In the long-term, the United Kingdom Consumer Confidence 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
2026-02-27 12:01 AM
Gfk Consumer Confidence
Feb -19 -16 -15 -16
2026-03-27 12:01 AM
Gfk Consumer Confidence
Mar -21 -19 -24 -26
2026-04-24 11:01 PM
Gfk Consumer Confidence
Apr -21


Related Last Previous Unit Reference
Bank Lending Rate 8.76 8.61 percent Jan 2026
CBI Distributive Trades -52.00 -43.00 Net Balance Mar 2026
GfK Consumer Confidence -21.00 -19.00 points Mar 2026
BoE Consumer Credit 1812.00 1652.00 GBP Million Jan 2026
Consumer Spending 418232.00 417589.00 GBP Million Dec 2025
Disposable Personal Income 439388.00 442292.00 GBP Million Sep 2025
Gasoline Prices 1.79 1.77 USD/Liter Feb 2026
Households Debt to GDP 73.90 73.90 percent of GDP Sep 2025
Net Lending to Individuals MoM 5888.00 6144.00 GBP Million Jan 2026
Personal Savings 9.50 10.20 percent Sep 2025
Retail Sales ex Fuel MoM -0.40 2.20 percent Feb 2026
Retail Sales MoM -0.40 2.00 percent Feb 2026
Retail Sales YoY 2.50 4.80 percent Feb 2026


United Kingdom Consumer Confidence
In the United Kingdom, the consumer confidence survey measures the level of optimism that consumers have about the performance of the economy in the next 12 months. The GfK Consumer Confidence is derived from the survey of about 2,000 consumers which are ask to rate the relative level of past and future economic conditions including personal financial situation, climate for major purchases, overall economic situation and savings level.
Actual Previous Highest Lowest Dates Unit Frequency
-21.00 -19.00 10.00 -49.00 1981 - 2026 points Monthly

News Stream
UK Consumer Confidence Hits 11-Month Low
The UK GfK Consumer Confidence Index fell to -21 in March 2026 from -19 in February, marking its lowest level in nearly a year as concerns over the Middle East conflict’s impact on inflation and growth weighed on sentiment. The largest decline came in households’ assessment of the general economic outlook for the next 12 months, which dropped 6 points, while views of personal finances remained steady. The report also showed a 4-point fall in willingness to make major purchases and a 6-point rise in the savings rate. British consumers faced surging energy costs, with petrol prices up roughly 50% since the Iran war began, while government support for households reliant on heating oil remained limited. Neil Bellamy, Consumer Insights Director at GfK, said: “People simply do not feel the economy is robust enough to ride out the knock-on effects from the Middle East conflict.”
2026-03-27
UK Consumer Confidence Weakens in February
The UK GfK Consumer Confidence Index fell to -19 in February 2026 from -16 in January, reversing the gains recorded over the previous two months and undershooting market expectations for an improvement to -15, as rising unemployment weighed on sentiment. The jobless rate climbed to a post-pandemic high of 5.2% in the three months to December, while youth unemployment surged to 16.4%, its highest level in over a decade. Neil Bellamy, Consumer Insights Director at GfK, said the trend “is increasing concerns about job security, particularly given the backdrop of weak wage growth.” He added that “with fewer entry-level opportunities available, those on lower incomes are already feeling the strain and this trend risks undermining the typically more optimistic outlook held by younger age groups.” The overall decline was largely driven by deteriorating views of personal finances, with respondents reporting a four-point drop in assessments of both the past year and the year ahead.
2026-02-27
UK Consumer Confidence Remains Subdued
The UK GfK Consumer Confidence Index edged up to -16 in January 2026 from -17 in December, pointing to household resilience rather than renewed optimism, as the broader economic outlook remains subdued. The latest reading also marked 10 years since the index last stood in positive territory. Confidence in personal finances over the next 12 months rose four points to +6, eight points higher than a year earlier. By contrast, expectations for the general economic situation over the coming year slipped two points to -31, though this remains three points above last January’s level. The Major Purchase Index, which gauges sentiment toward big ticket spending, improved by one point to -10, standing 10 points higher than a year ago. Commenting on the data, GfK Consumer Insights Director Neil Bellamy noted that despite the one point improvement in headline confidence, consumers remain far from feeling that an economic turnaround is imminent.
2026-01-23