Netherlands: Consumer sentiment ebbs in January
Consumer confidence dropped from minus 2 in December to minus 3 in January, as the index remained below the neutral zero-mark that separates pessimism from optimism among consumers. More positively, the print came in just above the long-term average of minus 4.
The deterioration in sentiment reflected reduced willingness to buy due to more downbeat views on households’ financial situations in the past 12 months, while the outlook on the financial situation of households in the year ahead was unchanged. On the other hand, views on the economic climate became slightly less pessimistic on the back of a small uptick in the outlook on the year ahead; however, it remained deeply entrenched in pessimistic territory, whereas attitudes towards the economic situation in the past year were unchanged in January.