The indicator of consumer confidence decreased in August, after three consecutive monthly increases, while the economic climate, based on business surveys, recovered from the fall recorded in July, released today the National Institute of Statistics (INE).
© Lusa
28/08/2026
by
Lusa
Dand according to the INE conjuncture surveys, the indicator of consumer confidence decreased in August, after increasing between May and July, penalized by the perspectives on the future evolution of the country's economic situation, the realization of important purchases by households and the financial situation of the household.
On the contrary, opinions on the past developments in the financial situation of the household made a positive contribution.
According to the statistical institute, the balance of consumer assessments on past price developments has decreased in the last four months, after the biggest increase since May 2008.
As for the balance of expectations on future price developments, it increased in August after decreasing between April and July.
On the other hand, the economic climate indicator, based on business surveys, rose in August after decreasing in the previous month, with confidence indicators increasing in construction and public works and services, but decreasing in trade and manufacturing.
In construction and public works, the indicator increased in the last two months, after decreasing in June, with the highest value since January 2002, as a result of positive contributions from both components: employment prospects and assessments on the order book.
According to the INE, the service confidence indicator also increased in August, after decreasing in the previous month, reflecting only the positive contribution of opinions on the evolution of the order portfolio.
On the contrary, the indicator of confidence in trade decreased in July and August, after increasing in June, reflecting the negative contributions of assessments on the volume of current stocks and prospects for activity in the next three months.
In the manufacturing industry, the indicator decreased in July and August after having stabilised in the previous two months, resulting only from the negative contribution of production prospects.
INE details that the balance of responses from entrepreneurs' expectations on future developments in sales prices has increased in trade, manufacturing and construction, and has decreased in services.
In this issue of the INE business surveys, the information collection periods were between 03 and 14 (working days) of August in the case of the consumer survey, with 1,200 responses obtained (phone interviews), and between 01 and 24 in the case of qualitative business surveys (webinq), with 1,225 responses in the trade sector, 632 responses in the construction sector, 1,365 responses in the industry sector and 1,353 responses in the services sector.
[News updated at 10:21]