Global consumer confidence fell sharply in April 2026, declining 2.7 points to 46.7, according to the latest Global Consumer Confidence Index from Ipsos.
The decline comes amid the ongoing U.S.-Iran war, now in its seventh week, with many countries appearing to feel negative effects, according to the report.
Ipsos said the drop marks the second-largest decline ever recorded in the index, behind only April 2020, the first reading after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is also only the second time the index has moved by at least two points in a single month.
The index now sits one point below its level in April 2025.
20 countries record significant declines
Among the 30 economies measured, twenty countries showed significant declines in consumer sentiment this month, while no countries recorded a notable gain.
All four sub-indices that make up the overall index also declined significantly in April.
Based on the “legacy 20 countries” tracked since March 2010, the index would read at 44.8, representing a 2.5-point decline from March.
Asia-Pacific and Europe see the largest drops
All regions recorded declines in sentiment in April, with the Asia-Pacific region seeing the largest drops.
Five of the six largest national declines came from Asia-Pacific: Thailand (-10.9 points), Malaysia (-6.1 points), South Korea (-5.1 points), Japan (-4.7 points), and Australia (-4.6 points).
Europe also recorded widespread declines, with nine countries showing significant decreases: Italy (-4.4 points), Ireland (-4.3 points), Belgium (-4.2 points), Spain (-4.1 points), France (-3.9 points), Germany (-2.9 points), the Netherlands (-2.8 points), Great Britain (-2.7 points), and Poland (-2.7 points).
India leads the rankings as confidence varies widely
Among the 30 countries surveyed, India recorded the highest National Index score at 66.2 and was the only country above the 60-point mark.
Seven additional countries recorded scores at or above 50: Indonesia (57.6), Sweden (55.9), Malaysia (54.8), Mexico (54.0), Colombia (53.3), Singapore (50.1), and the United States (50.0).
At the lower end, three countries recorded scores below 40: France (38.1), Japan (37.7), and Türkiye (34.7).
Year-on-year comparisons show mixed changes
Compared with April 2025, fifteen countries recorded significant declines in consumer sentiment.
Seven countries recorded significant increases over the same period, with Colombia showing the largest gain at 7.1 points.
Sub-indices all decline in April
Ipsos reported declines across all four sub-indices in April.
The Current sub-index, which reflects perceptions of the economic climate and purchasing, jobs, and investment confidence, fell 2.7 points to 37.2. Two countries recorded significant gains in this sub-index, while twenty-one recorded significant losses.
The Investment sub-index declined 2.8 points to 39.5, with two countries recording gains and twenty recording losses.
The Expectations sub-index, which measures outlook for future economic conditions, fell 3.6 points to 54.3. No countries recorded significant gains, while twenty recorded losses.
The Jobs sub-index declined 1.7 points to 56.9, with two countries recording gains and twelve recording losses.
France, Ireland, Japan, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, and Thailand recorded significant losses across all four sub-indices, while no country recorded gains across all four.
Survey based on the global advisor platform
The index is based on a monthly survey of more than 21,000 adults under the age of 75 across 30 countries, conducted on Ipsos’ Global Advisor online platform. The survey was carried out between March 20 and April 3, 2026.
Ipsos said the Global Consumer Confidence Index represents the average of all surveyed countries’ national indices and provides a measure of consumer perceptions of economic conditions and expectations.
