Consumer confidence reaches its highest level since February.

Vinícius Lisbon
Reporter from Agência Brasil
Rio de Janeiro - The Consumer Confidence Index interrupted a series of declines in September and reached its highest level since February, with 114,2 points, but the 1% increase was not enough to surpass the average of the last five years, of 114,9 points, the Getulio Vargas Foundation (FGV) announced today (24) in the Consumer Expectations Survey.

The index started the year at 117,9 points, fell to 116,2 in February, and ended the first quarter with a sharper drop in March, to 113,9 points. In April, there was no change, and in the following months, the indicator continued its decline, to 113,4 points in May, 112,9 points in June, and 108,3 points in July.

In September of last year, the Consumer Confidence Index reached 122,1 points. The highest level the indicator reached in the last five years was 128,7 points, in April 2012, and the lowest was 94,9, in December 2008, a time troubled by the international financial crisis.

The increase in the percentage is mainly due to the Current Situation Index, which advanced 3,5%, recovering a good part of the losses from June, July, and August. The Expectations Index rose 0,4%, to 110,8 points and remains above the average of the last five years, which is 108,1 points, while the ISA remains below the average of 127,8 points.

In September, 17,3% of consumers rated the economic situation as good, a figure 0,1 percentage point lower than in August. On the other hand, those who rated it as bad fell from 37,8% to 34,1%.

For the following six months, the indicator measuring consumers' intention to purchase durable goods advanced by 0,7%.

Despite this, the desire for larger purchases decreased from 16% to 13,4%, and for smaller purchases, from 30,1% to 26,9%.
Edited by: Talita Cavalcante