Netherlands: Consumer confidence falls to over four-year low in March
Sentiment among Dutch consumers dropped further in March, with the consumer confidence index falling to minus 4 from minus 2 in the prior month. This marked the eight-consecutive month in which confidence fell as well as the first time since December 2014 that the index dropped below the long-term average of minus over the last 20 years.
Consumers’ judgement on the economic climate turned pessimistic due to less rosy views on the Dutch economy in the last 12 months and a more negative outlook on the economy in the next 12 months. Meanwhile, consumers’ willingness to buy decreased further and chiefly reflected a more pessimistic view on households’ financial situation in the past year while consumers’ view regarding their financial situation in the year ahead was unchanged.