Global concerns

Similar to trends in the US, global consumer confidence is falling, albeit at a moderated pace. According to the polling firm Ipsos, their Global Consumer Confidence Index fell 60 basis points to 48.2 in March. In the US, the Conference Board US Consumer Confidence Index fell 7.2 points to 92.9, the lowest reading in four years. According to the Ipsos survey, inflation is the most pressing issue with 33% of global consumers citing it as their top worry. A decade ago, only 10% of global consumers cited inflation as their top concern. The top concern however varies considerably by country with 68% of adults in Chile citing crime and violence as the top concern, 67% of Indonesians citing corruption, and 67% of South Africans citing unemployment. While only 11% of global adults cite military conflict as a top worry, concern is rising. In Germany for instance, military conflict was cited by 27% of adults at their top concern, up 11 percentage points from the previous month.

Source: IPSOS, March 2025