Finland’s consumer confidence improved for the eighth straight month in May to the strongest level in four years, figures from Statistics Finland showed Wednesday.
The consumer confidence index rose to 15.5 in May from 11.4 in the previous month. The latest score was the highest since April 2011, when it marked 17.8.
The recent survey was conducted among 1,315 residents in Finland, between May 4 and 19.
The index measuring the general economic situation of the country for the next twelve months improved markedly to 11.9 in May from 5.0 in the preceding month.
At the same time, households’ expectations regarding their own financial situation worsened in May, with the corresponding index falling to 8.4 in May from 10.7 in April.
The survey showed that altogether 36 percent of consumers thought in May that unemployment would increase over the year, while 26 percent of them believed it would decline.
Consumers predicted in May that consumer prices would go up by 1.2 percent over the next twelve month. In the same month of the previous year, the estimated inflation rate was 2.6 percent.
In May, 42 percent of consumers thought the time was favorable for buying durable goods, while 52 percent of consumers considered saving worthwhile.
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