Total consumer confidence in July 2009 was 5.5 percentage points higher than in April, according to a regular consumer survey released by the National Statistical Institute. The consumer confidence index for the rural population increased by 6.4 percentage points, compared to 5.0 percentage points for the urban population.

Compared with April, some consumers have changed their evaluation of the general economic situation in the last 12 months from negative to neutral or positive. Moreover, the July survey registered appreciably more favourable expectations about the economic situation in the next 12 months.

The assessments of consumer price changes over the last 12 months are more favorable compared to April. As usual, the prevailing opinion is that prices increased, but a growing number of people say they think that prices did not change or decreased. Expectations about the next 12 months were less negative as well.

Unemployment expectations for the next 12 months also shifted in the direction of more moderate and even slightly positive.

This, however, cannot make up for the accumulated negative unemployment expectations registered in the January and April polls.

Regarding the changes in the households' financial situation in the last 12 months, pessimists outnumber optimists and are nearly as many as in April.

Source: BTA