Consumer confidence remains well below its long-term average and below the level observed before the outbreak of the conflict in the Middle East.
In April 2026, the Economic Sentiment Indicator (ESI) recorded a sharp drop in both the EU (-2.9 to 93.5) and the euro area (-3.2 to 93.0). Also the Employment Expectations Indicator (EEI) plummeted in both the EU (-4.0 points to 93.2) and the euro area (-4.6 to 91.7). Adding to the previous declines of February and March, both indicators have fallen markedly below their long-term averages of 100.
For background, the Eurozone Consumer Confidence Indicator (CCI) is the European Commission’s flagship monthly gauge of household sentiment across the 21 euro-area members and is one of the most closely watched real-time reads on the region’s economy. Compiled by the Commission’s Directorate-General for Economic and Financial Affairs (DG ECFIN), the index is built from harmonized consumer surveys covering households’ assessments of their financial situation, the broader economic outlook, and intentions to make major purchases over the next 12 months. The Commission publishes a flash estimate in the final week of each month, followed by a final reading at month-end as part of the wider Business and Consumer Survey package that also includes the Economic Sentiment Indicator (ESI) and Employment Expectations Indicator (EEI). The CCI is expressed as a balance of positive and negative responses, so all readings tend to sit in negative territory; the long-run average is roughly -10.
