FX.co ★ Swiss Consumers Less Pessimistic In September

In August, consumer confidence in Switzerland showed a slight improvement, according to data released by the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) on Friday. The consumer confidence index increased to -33.74 from -34.56 in August, surpassing the anticipated figure of -33.0 and notably improving from the September 2023 reading of -50.8.

The survey highlighted better performances in sub-indices related to economic outlook, past financial situations, financial forecasts, and the timeliness for making significant purchases compared to the previous year.

A closer look at the components revealed a robust enhancement in the index measuring the expected economic activity for the upcoming year, which improved to 19.4 in September from -22.0 in August. Conversely, the past financial situation index deteriorated slightly, moving to -38.9 from -36.7.

Furthermore, the index reflecting the anticipated personal financial situation of households declined to -33.0 from -31.0. Meanwhile, consumer sentiment regarding major purchases remained relatively stable in September, as evidenced by the index rising to -29 from -32.0 in August.