Financial News: Italy Consumer Confidence Falls To 29-month Low; Business

Italy Consumer Confidence Falls To 29-month Low; Business Morale Remains Broadly Stable

03/26/2026 - 07:11:00 (RTTNews)

(RTTNews) - Italy's consumer confidence decreased in March to the lowest level in nearly two-and-a-half years, survey results from the statistical office Istat showed on Thursday.

Consumer sentiment dropped to 92.6 in March from 97.4 in the previous month. Moreover, this was the lowest reading since October 2023, when it was 91.1.

Among components, the economic climate index dropped to 88.1 from 99.1, and the future climate index weakened from 93.1 to 85.3. Similarly, the personal climate indicator declined to 94.2 from 94.2, and the current climate index fell to 98.0 from an optimistic score of 100.7.

The composite business confidence indicator logged a marginal decline in March, with the index falling to 97.3 from 97.4 in February.

Confidence among manufacturers improved somewhat, and the corresponding indicator rose to 88.8 from 88.5, led by better assessments on order books.

The morale for the construction sector strengthened further to 103.6 from 103.1, and the market service confidence rose to 102.7 from 102.1. Meanwhile, the retail trade confidence eased notably from 104.9 to 100.6.

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