United States Consumer Confidence

Understanding Consumer Confidence — a simple guide

What it measures

The OECD standardised consumer confidence indicator, based on household surveys about their financial situation, the economy and plans for major purchases.

How it is calculated

Household survey answers are combined and standardised by the OECD so that 100 equals the long-term average.

Why it matters for the economy and markets

Consumer mood affects spending decisions; a sharp fall in confidence often comes before weaker retail sales.

How to read it

100 is the long-term average. Values above 100 mean households are more optimistic than usual; below 100, more pessimistic.

What to look at alongside it

Retail sales, inflation and unemployment.

Key terms

Sentiment

How people feel about the economy and their own finances.

Data source

OECD — Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (series OECD consumer confidence (CCI)), monthly data from Jan 1960 to Sep 2026. Values are shown exactly as published by the source and may be revised later.

How to use the chart

Use the 5Y / 10Y / 25Y / Max buttons to change the time range, or drag the slider under the chart. Hover (or tap) on the line to see the exact value for any period. Dashed lines and hatched bars are IMF projections, not actual data. The “Download CSV” button gives you the full data series.