France’s consumer confidence indicator declined to 89 in March 2026, in line with market expectations but down from 91 in February. This was the lowest reading since November 2025 and remained below the long-term average of 100, reflecting growing pessimism among households.
Expectations for personal finances worsened notably, with the balance of opinions on households’ future financial situation falling to -12 from -8 in February. Perceptions of saving capacity also softened, both for current conditions (23 vs 24) and for the year ahead (16 vs 17).
Views on the country’s future standard of living deteriorated further, with the corresponding balance dropping to -62 from -55. At the same time, the share of households expecting prices to rise faster over the next twelve months decreased sharply (to -1 from -29), indicating a significant easing in inflation expectations.
The proportion of respondents who considered it a good time to make major purchases slipped slightly, to -29 from -28. Concerns about future unemployment eased only marginally, with that balance edging down to 47 from 48.
