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Euro zone consumer confidence improves to -15.5 in August

Created at 21 Aug · 2:12 PM1 source↑ Market-relevant
IN SHORT

Euro zone consumer confidence rose to -15.5 in August, up from -15.9 in July, according to a flash estimate from the European Commission. This figure exceeded economists' expectations of a fall to -16.3.

Key Numbers

-15.5Euro zone consumer confidence in August
-15.9Euro zone consumer confidence in July
-16.3Economists' expected euro zone consumer confidence
-15.0EU consumer sentiment in August
+0.4Euro area confidence increase
+0.1EU confidence increase

Who's Involved

European Commission
Released flash estimate on consumer confidence
Euro zone consumer confidence improves to -15.5 in August

↳ Why This Matters

The rise in consumer confidence suggests a potential improvement in household spending and economic sentiment within the euro zone, which could influence future economic growth and monetary policy decisions by the European Central Bank.

Key facts

  • Euro zone consumer confidence increased to -15.5 in August.
  • This is an improvement from the July reading of -15.9.
  • Economists had forecast a decline to -16.3.
  • Consumer sentiment across the European Union also saw a slight increase.

Consumer confidence in the euro zone saw an improvement in August, rising to -15.5 from -15.9 in July, according to a flash estimate released by the European Commission. This uptick exceeded the expectations of economists polled by Reuters, who had predicted a fall to -16.3.

Across the wider European Union, consumer sentiment also edged up, increasing by 0.1 percentage points to -15.0. Despite the recent improvement, consumer confidence in both the EU and the euro area remains below its long-term average.

The European Commission's Directorate-General for Economic and Financial Affairs (DG ECFIN) indicated that the flash estimate for the consumer confidence indicator remained broadly stable in the EU and edged up in the euro area compared to the previous month.

Frequently asked questions

The Euro zone consumer confidence indicator is a measure of how optimistic consumers are about the overall state of the economy and their personal financial situation. It is released by the European Commission.

A negative score indicates that there are more pessimistic consumers than optimistic ones. The scores are relative to a long-term average, with scores below zero suggesting a generally negative sentiment.

Higher consumer confidence often leads to increased consumer spending, which is a major driver of economic growth. Conversely, low confidence can lead to reduced spending and slower economic activity.

What Happens Next

01Next update on business and consumer survey results expected August 28, 2026.
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How It Developed

Euro zone consumer confidence improved to -15.5 in August.
This marks an increase from -15.9 in July.
The figure surpassed economists' expectations of -16.3.
Consumer sentiment in the EU as a whole rose to -15.0.

Sources

T1
Euro zone consumer confidence rises to -15.5 in AugustReuters
T2
Latest business and consumer surveys - Economy and Financeeconomy-finance.ec.europa.eu
T2
Eurozone August final consumer confidence -15.5 vs -15.5 preliminvestinglive.com
T2
Euro Area Consumer Confidence - TRADING ECONOMICStradingeconomics.com

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