Germany Gfk Consumer Sentiment for December rose slightly from -41.9 to -40.2, better than expectation of -45.3. In November, economic expectations rose from -22.2 to -17.9. Income expectations rose from -60.5 to -54.3. Propensity to buy dropped from -17.5 to -18.6.
“Consumers’ long-standing fear of skyrocketing energy prices has currently eased somewhat, which is having a slightly positive impact on consumer sentiment. On the one hand, some energy prices have recently recovered a bit, and on the other hand, consumers apparently assume that the measures adopted to cap energy prices can help curb inflation, even if this may turn out to be rather modest,” explains Rolf Bürkl, GfK consumer expert. “Despite the slight improvements, however, the situation remains tense.”
