Improving Mood in the Depths of Winter
Improving economic perceptions have driven up the Consumer Comfort Index (CCI), according to a new poll released by UMR
Research. 48% of New Zealanders now say that the economy at the moment is either ‘excellent’ or ‘good’, up 16% since
February.
As a result, the CCI has improved to -1%, compared with -18% in February. The CCI calculates consumer comfort based on
how people feel about the economy now, their personal finances and how they rate their ability to buy the things they
want and need (the buying climate). By comparison, the US index sits at -43% (compared with -49% in February).
The improvement in perceptions of personal finances and the buying climate has been much more moderate.
- 58% now rate their personal finances as either ‘excellent’ or ‘good’, up just 3% since February.
- 41% think that now is a good time to buy the things they want and need, up 6% since February.
The New Zealand data is from UMR Research’s latest online survey of a nationally representative sample of 1,100 New
Zealanders aged 18 years and over . UMR’s Consumer Comfort Index is based on the ABC News Consumer Comfort Index, which
has been running in the US since 1985.
ENDS