France’s consumer confidence index declined to 84 in April 2026, down from 89 in March and below the forecast of 88, remaining well under its long-term average of 100. This is the weakest reading since May 2023 and reflects broad-based deterioration across nearly all components of the survey.
Households’ views of their financial situation worsened noticeably, both for current conditions (-26 vs -20 in March) and for expectations (-20 vs -13). Assessments of saving capacity also weakened, with current saving capacity slipping to 18 from 23 and expected saving capacity easing to 14 from 16.
Perceptions of the standard of living became more negative as well, both regarding the past (-75 vs -67) and the future (-69 vs -63). Intentions to make major purchases fell further (-36 vs -30), underlining growing caution in household spending plans.
At the same time, unemployment expectations deteriorated, with the corresponding index rising to 56 from 49, pointing to increased anxiety about labour market conditions. Inflation expectations also moved higher: perceptions of past price changes swung sharply into positive territory (23 vs -7), and expected inflation climbed to 11 from 0, indicating renewed upward pressure on prices in the eyes of consumers.
