(Alliance News) - UK consumer confidence continued to deteriorate in April with consumers evidently concerned about the prospect of price rises driven by the conflict in the Middle East.
The overall score for the UK GfK consumer confidence index fell to minus 25 points in April from minus 21 points in March.
Neil Bellamy, consumer insights director at GfK, said: "Consumers really do have the jitters now. The anxiety we saw last month has deepened...It is a year since we last saw a monthly drop of this size, and we have to go back to October 2023 to find the last time consumer confidence was lower."
The index has now declined for three month in a row, with the the latest reading coming in below the minus 24 forecast cited by FXStreet.
The measure for personal financial situation over the last 12 months weakened to minus 11 points from minus 7 points, while the measure for personal financial situation over next 12 months fell to minus 4 points from plus 1 points.
The score for the general economic situation over the past 12 months dropped to minus 51 points from minus 43 points, while the reading for the next 12 months worsened to minus 43 points from minus 37 points.
Furthermore, the major purchase index remained at minus 18 points and the savings index rose to plus 32 points from plus 27 points.
GfK's Bellamy said: "Everyone is grappling with rapid price rises, especially at the fuel pumps, which are taking a dent out of household budgets, and people know further price hikes are coming. The only measure to go up is our savings index, often an indication that people are concerned about what lies ahead, so those who can are building contingency funds.
"Consumer confidence is deteriorating sharply, with fuel prices and threats of more energy price increases acting as constant reminders of inflation. While the Gulf crisis is intensifying pressures, much of the current strain reflects earlier domestic cost increases."
The index readings form part of the GfK consumer confidence barometer, published each month by GfK and the Nuremberg Institute for Market Decisions using survey responses gathered between April 1 and April 15 from a sample of 2,005 individuals in the UK aged 16 and above.
By Elijah Dale, Alliance News senior reporter Asia-Pacific
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