Sentiment edges lower as investment outlook weakens but employment expectations remain stable
Global consumer confidence has declined for the first time in close to a year, marking a pause in the improving sentiment that had carried into early 2026.
The Ipsos Global Consumer Confidence Index fell by 0.6 points in March to 49.4, ending an eleven-month stretch during which sentiment had either held steady or strengthened.
Even with the monthly pullback, confidence remains higher than it was a year earlier. The latest reading sits 1.2 points above its level in March 2025, suggesting households are still more optimistic overall than they were at that time.
Pressure on the headline index came largely from softer readings in present-day financial assessments and investment intentions. Both the Current and Investment components slipped by nearly one point in March. Meanwhile, forward-looking measures were comparatively stable. The Expectations and Jobs indicators showed minimal change, pointing to continued resilience in views on employment prospects and future economic conditions.
Across the 30 markets surveyed, more countries registered declines than improvements. Only two economies posted notable gains during the month, while eight recorded meaningful drops in confidence.
Regional results were uneven. Latin America experienced some of the steepest deteriorations, with Argentina down 4.4 points and Colombia falling 2.9 points. No market in the region reported a significant rise in sentiment in March.
In Asia-Pacific, confidence also weakened in several countries, including Indonesia and Singapore. However, South Korea moved against the broader trend, climbing 4.1 points to reach its highest level since Ipsos began tracking the index in 2010.
Malaysia continued to lead globally with a national index score of 60.8, remaining the only country above the 60-point threshold. A further 12 markets posted readings at or above the neutral 50 mark, including the United States, India, Sweden and Australia.
At the lower end of the rankings, Türkiye remained the weakest performer with a score of 36.2 — the only country below the 40 level.
On a year-over-year basis, sentiment has strengthened in many markets despite the latest monthly decline. Thirteen countries showed meaningful improvements compared with March 2025, led by South Korea’s double-digit increase, while six reported significant drops over the same period.
The findings are based on responses from more than 21,000 adults under the age of 75 across 30 countries. The survey was conducted between February 20 and March 6 using Ipsos’ Global Advisor online platform.
While March’s results point to a cooling in consumer optimism, the broader trajectory still reflects stronger confidence levels than those seen a year earlier, underscoring a recovery that remains uneven across regions.
