Colombia: Consumer sentiment more upbeat in March
The Fedesarrollo consumer confidence index climbed to a 17-month high of minus 3.2 points in March, up from minus 7.8 points in February. The indicator has now been sitting below the zero-point threshold that separates optimism from pessimism among consumers for 27 months.
The improvement in consumer sentiment reflected an upturn in all five sub-components of the index. Consumers’ perception on their future personal economic situation was more optimistic and sat in positive territory, while their views on the general economic situation and the economic conditions of the country over the next 12 months were less pessimistic but remained in negative territory. Moreover, consumers held a more favorable view on their personal economic situation now compared to a year ago and showed a higher propensity to purchase big-ticket items, but both components remained below the zero-point threshold.