Consumer survey - July 2026

In July 2026, the total consumer confidence indicator increases by 2.9 percentage points in comparison with April (from -28.6% to -25.7%) (Figure 1). An increase of consumer confidence among both urban and rural inhabitants - by 1.1 and 7.7 percentage points respectively is reported.

Figure 1. Consumer confidence indicator

According to the consumers’ assessments, there is certain positive change in the development of the general economic situation in the country over the last 12 months (Figure 2), and their expectations over the next 12 months are more favourable in comparison with the previous survey (Figure 3).

Figure 2. Assessment of the general economic situation in the country over the last 12 months

Figure 3. Expectations about the general economic situation in the country over the next 12 months

In comparison with April, the pessimism has decreased both in the assessments about the changes in the financial situation of the households over the last 12 months, and in the forecasts about the next 12 months (Figure 4).

Figure 4. Expectations about the financial situation of households over the next 12 months

The consumers continue to consider that over the last 12 months there has been an increase of consumer prices, but at a lower rate compared to the assessments, registered from the previous inquiry (Figure 5). At the same time their inflation expectations about the next 12 months are more moderate.

Figure 5. Assessment about inflation over the last 12 months

However, the consumers’ expectations concerning the unemployment in the country over the next 12 months are more unfavourable (Figure 6) in comparison with the opinions registered 3 months earlier.

 Figure 6. Unemployment expectations over the next 12 months

The last inquiry reports slightly more positive total assessment of the present situation for making major purchases of durable goods^[1] (Figure 7), as the consumers’ intentions to make such expenditures over the next 12 months are favourable.

  Figure 7. Assessment of the present situation for making major purchases of durable goods

^[1] When commenting on the replies regarding the purchases (expenditures), one has to take into account that the questions are asked on a quarterly basis, although these purchases (expenditures) are to be made by the consumers over a longer period of time. That is why it is normal for the prevailing values of the balances of opinions to be permanently situated in the negative zone of the graphs. However, for the purpose of economic analysis, it is important to consider the direction of the development of balances of opinions as indicators of positive or negative change.

Methodological notes

The survey is part of the harmonized program of the European Union for business and consumer surveys and it is representative of the population aged 18 and older.

The object of the survey are the persons aged 18 and older; the sampling method is random, clustered, and proportional to the population by region, incl. urban/rural inhabitants (154 clusters with 8 persons per cluster). The interviewing method is face-to-face. The questionnaire contains standardized questions about the financial situation of households, the general economic situation, inflation, unemployment, savings, intentions of making major purchases of durable goods or purchasing/building a home, or buying a car. The proposed variants of answers give an opportunity to arrange them from optimistic, through neutral, to pessimistic. The balance of opinions is calculated as a difference between the relative shares of positive opinions and the relative shares of negative opinions, as there is one specification: the strong positive opinions and the strong negative opinions are given a coefficient of 1, and the more moderate positive and negative opinions - a coefficient of 0.5.

The survey results are used to capture the direction of change of surveyed variables, incl. that of consumer confidence level, which gives an opportunity to analyze the tendencies in the development of public opinion on significant economic phenomena.

According to the Joint Harmonised EU Programme of Business and Consumer Surveys, the consumer confidence indicator is an arithmetic mean of the balances of the assessments and expectations about the financial situation of households, expectations about the general economic situation in the country and the intentions to make major purchases of durable goods.