Spain leads decline in economic confidence within EU

Spanish consumer spending TC

Economic confidence dropped by 0.3 points in August in the European Union and 0.5 points in the Eurozone due to a feeling of uncertainty that has spread to consumers and businesses, according to a report published yesterday by the European Commission.

“Among the main EU economies, the Economic Sentiment Indicator fell considerably in Spain (down 2.6), with more moderate deteriorations in Germany (1) and Italy (1). In contrast, it increased significantly in the Netherlands (up 3.5) and also slightly in Poland (0.5). In France, it remained practically unchanged,” the Commission stated in a note prepared by the Directorate-General for Economic and Financial Affairs.

Overall, the decrease in the confidence index from 95.7 in July to 95.2 in August was an unexpected surprise, as the market had anticipated a rise to 96 points.

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The Corner has a team of on-the-ground reporters in capital cities ranging from New York to Beijing. Their stories are edited by the teams at the Spanish magazine Consejeros (for members of companies’ boards of directors) and at the stock market news site Consenso Del Mercado (market consensus). They have worked in economics and communication for over 25 years.