According to the latest edition of Nielsen Global Consumer Confidence Index, Global consumer confidence slowly stepped up one index point to 93 in the second quarter as a result of increase in confidence in Asian markets which was offset by European consumers’ growing concerns of debt crisis, which battered confidence levels in Spain, Italy and France.
There was an increase of two points in U.S. in Q2 to 87 in consumer confidence. The world’s largest economy slowly but steadily continued to climb out of the recession. Degrees of optimism and pessimism are indicated by above and below a baseline of 100 in consumer confidence index levels.
Out of the 10 top most optimistic nations in the second quarter, 6 came from Asia and all of their markets posted consumer confidence increasing quarter-on-quarter. The highest consumer confidence increase in Q2 increasing 18 index points to 119 was recorded by Vietnam. The major setback in the global economic recovery anticipated this year was because of ongoing European debt crisis.