RBI says consumer confidence declines, highlights ebbed sentiment on discretionary expenditure

The Reserve Bank released the results of May 2026 round of its bi-monthly urban consumer confidence survey (UCCS). The survey collects current perceptions (vis-?-vis a year ago) and one year ahead expectations of households on general economic situation, employment scenario, overall price situation, own income and spending. The survey was conducted during May 2-11, 2026, covering 6,086 respondents across 19 major cities. RBI noted that Consumer confidence for the current period declined for the third successive round with the Current Situation Index (CSI) going down to 90.7 from 95.7 in the previous round. Confidence for the year ahead, though optimistic, also weakened from the previous round. The Future Expectations Index (FEI) dropped by 1.5 points to 118.7 which is the lowest since September 2023. Households? current perception on economic situation also receded, registering a further decrease of 7.9 points from the previous round. The outlook also declined by 3.6 points, though remained in the optimistic zone. Households? sentiment significantly weakened on spending for both the time horizon. The waning is primarily driven by ebbed sentiment on discretionary expenditure.

Powered by Capital Market - Live News