Bulgarian consumer confidence improves in April – poll
Bulgaria’s consumer confidence indicator was 1.8 percentage points higher in April than in January, National Statistical Institute (NSI) said on May 10, reporting the results of a poll held every three months.
The increase in consumer confidence was higher among the rural population than among the urban population, two percentage points against 1.6 percentage points, the NSI said.
The poll found that Bulgarian consumers’ expectations, about the financial situation of their households were more favourable, with respondents in urban areas more optimistic about the upward trend continuing over the next 12 months, while respondents in rural areas had a more negative outlook compared to the January poll.
However, a degree of pessimism in expectations about the general economic situations in the country for the coming 12 months endured, the NSI said, with consumer confidence slightly worse than three months earlier.
Consumer opinions about inflation for the next 12 months were more unfavourable than in January, while the expectations about unemployment were shifting towards negative, as most respondents said that they were expecting no changes or even a slight decline in employment numbers.
In terms of purchases of durable goods, the NSI survey showed an increase in the number of consumers considering such an acquisition in the next 12 months.
(Photo: Clive Leviev-Sawyer)
