The latest research by Nielsen Consumer Confidence has shown that Greeks are particularly pessimistic and worried about their employment security, as well as the financial situation in general.
Greece is the second most pessimistic country in the world, following Portugal, as the consumer confidence index rose 5 points, in relation to the three previous months, reaching 40 points.
The biggest worries of Greeks are employment security (39%) and the financial situation in general (37%). However, these rates are reduced, compared to the previous six months, at 5 and 1 percentage points respectively.
When asked about where they spend the money left over after they meet their basic needs, 35 percent of Greeks stated that they pay loans, credit cards and debts in general, while another 35 percent said there is no money left. A majority of Greeks, 75 percent, have limited fun outside their home, while 72 percent buy cheaper consumer products.
At Global Consumer Confidence Index, 100 points constitute the borderline between optimism and pessimism. According to the latest measurements, the global index was increased to 55 percent of the purchases, measured by Nielsen, compared to 33 percent of the previous measurement, during the last three months in 2012.
The most optimist geographical region in the world is Asia/Pacific, marginally surpassing 100 points. In contrast, Europe continues to be the most pessimistic continent on the planet, where consumer confidence is fixed at 71 points.
At the end of 2012, the consumer confidence index was reduced in 20 out of 29 countries. An opposite tendency was observed in the first three months in 2013, as the index rose in 18 out of 29 markets, among which is Greece as well.
“It seems that the fear of the debt crisis’ expansion, beyond the countries of South Europe, has been blunted during the first three months in 2013. However, the difficult working environment in economies in crisis, as Greece, Ireland, Italy, Portugal and Spain, as well as the recent financial crisis in Cyprus, are supplementary indications of the fragile situation of the European economy, which keeps on stopping the complete recovery of the region,” Matina Mpada, President and Managing Director of Nielsen Greece, stated.
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