FX.co ★ UK Consumer Sentiment Slips in October as PCSI Falls to 45.3

Consumer confidence in the United Kingdom weakened in October, with the Thomson Reuters IPSOS Primary Consumer Sentiment Index (PCSI) declining to 45.3, down from 48.3 in September 2026.

The October 2026 reading, updated on 15 October 2026, signals a deterioration in household sentiment compared with the previous month, when the index had reached 48.3. While still below the neutral 50-point mark that typically separates pessimism from optimism, the latest drop suggests UK consumers have grown more cautious about current and future economic conditions as the autumn progresses.

The month-on-month decline in the PCSI will be closely watched by markets and policymakers, as shifts in consumer sentiment can foreshadow changes in household spending, saving behaviour, and overall economic momentum in the United Kingdom.