English Top > Lifestyle Conditions
The Consumer Confidence Index expresses the "propensity to consume" in the following month, as a percentage score given by respondents on HILL's independent survey panel. Respondents are asked to rate their propensity to consume (i.e. their desire to buy products or use services) in the following month, taking 100 as the maximum propensity to consume. We have conducted these surveys every month since April 1993.
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Comment
The February Consumer Confidence Index fell 2.0 points from January to 47.8 points, which marked a modest 0.3-point increase over February of last year. Despite the slight on-year improvement, this was still the second lowest score for any February on record. The propensity to spend has remained weak for both January and February.
The Coincident Index in the Cabinet Office’s Indexes of Business Conditions for December rose for the ninth straight month due to growth for both manufacturing sector production and the Industrial Production Index. However, the economic recovery seems weak as increased production has so far done very little to help improve employment and income conditions. In its Monthly Economic Report for January the Cabinet Office noted some improvements, but still assessed that the economy “remains in a difficult situation” due to no real improvement for employment conditions. Even though a handful of macroeconomic indicators have improved, consumers still remain concerned about the future and so the propensity to spend is not improving. During a typical year the scores for March are higher than those for February. It will be interesting to monitor this survey next month to see if this pattern holds true amid the current difficult conditions.
The Consumer Confidence Index for men slipped 0.7 point from January to 43.4 points, which was down 0.5 point from February of last year. The score for men has fallen on-year for two straight months and this was also the second lowest score for any February on record. The index for women slumped 3.2 points from January to 52.2 points. This was an improvement of 1.3 points compared to February 2009, but the score still remains at a very low level. Many members of the panel cited “concerns about the future” and a “lack of money” as reasons for reduced spending. There seemed to be a strong inclination to save in February after spending over the year-end / New Year period. Several men and women also said “there was nothing I really wanted to buy this month.” This is because they probably already took advantage of their winter bonuses and the New Year bargain sales to make desired purchases.
A simultaneous survey of lifestyle priorities showed that for men the propensity to spend on the three categories of “daily (minor) purchases”, “medium-sized purchases” and “major (expensive) purchases” were all higher compared to January, but the scores for “daily (minor) purchases” and “medium-sized purchases” remain at very low levels. On the other hand, the scores for women were down from January for all three categories. In particular, there was a sizable drop for “daily (minor) purchases”, which had risen for several months. This is likely a reaction to increased spending during the year-end / New Year period.
- Survey Overview
- Target population : males and females aged 18-75
- Sample size : 412 respondents
- Geographical scope : metropolitan region
- Survey method : by mail
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- *The number of valid responses and age distribution differ according to the responses collected each month.
Reference Indicators Lifestyle Priorities
We ask respondents on HILL's independent survey panel whether they think "they will give priority next month" in eleven different lifestyle areas. The figures show the proportion of respondents who answer "Will give priority" or "May give priority". ("Give priority" indicates the desire to spend time, effort or money on something, or to treat it with priority.)
We have conducted these surveys every month since April 2000.
| Lifestyle Priorities | 2009 Feb. |
Mar. | Apr. | May. | Jun. | Jul. | Aug. | Sep. | Oct. | Nov. | Dec. | 2010 Jan. |
Feb. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Life with your family | 66.1 | 70.7 | 71.6 | 72.7 | 63.0 | 69.5 | 73.8 | 68.0 | 68.6 | 67.3 | 69.2 | 71.8 | 64.4 |
| Personal relationships | 51.4 | 55.2 | 57.5 | 55.6 | 52.5 | 57.3 | 51.6 | 53.9 | 50.2 | 55.4 | 55.1 | 51.0 | 55.8 |
| Work | 61.7 | 57.9 | 59.6 | 57.1 | 61.8 | 58.8 | 51.4 | 56.8 | 59.0 | 60.9 | 60.7 | 55.5 | 56.4 |
| Hobbies and pastimes | 50.1 | 50.9 | 53.0 | 64.0 | 52.2 | 54.5 | 62.7 | 56.4 | 51.6 | 55.3 | 49.8 | 50.0 | 47.3 |
| Recreation and leisure | 39.1 | 47.5 | 47.7 | 60.8 | 40.1 | 53.4 | 66.1 | 49.1 | 43.8 | 44.7 | 38.4 | 40.4 | 44.4 |
| Housework and household affairs | 57.7 | 56.9 | 60.3 | 62.0 | 60.0 | 58.1 | 60.2 | 60.7 | 56.3 | 62.1 | 68.3 | 63.1 | 59.1 |
| Study | 58.6 | 60.3 | 61.1 | 59.5 | 62.7 | 60.9 | 50.6 | 58.9 | 63.7 | 62.6 | 51.6 | 55.1 | 59.4 |
| Health | 89.8 | 85.6 | 87.6 | 85.5 | 88.2 | 85.1 | 85.0 | 88.9 | 88.2 | 90.0 | 88.9 | 88.7 | 90.3 |
| Daily (minor) purchases | 22.5 | 25.8 | 25.6 | 26.9 | 25.7 | 25.9 | 24.8 | 23.6 | 25.0 | 25.7 | 28.3 | 25.9 | 23.2 |
| Medium-sized purchases | 12.6 | 11.9 | 15.3 | 16.8 | 16.3 | 16.9 | 14.3 | 15.1 | 12.3 | 15.8 | 19.1 | 15.3 | 12.3 |
| Major (expensive) purchases | 4.5 | 7.1 | 6.6 | 8.0 | 7.7 | 8.7 | 7.7 | 7.7 | 5.9 | 9.3 | 10.3 | 7.7 | 8.1 |
Reference Indicators Level of Satisfaction
We ask respondents on HILL's independent survey panel to indicate whether they are "Satisfied this month" in relation to five lifestyle areas. The figures show the proportion of respondents who answer "Satisfied" or "Somewhat satisfied".
We have conducted these surveys every month since April 2000.
| Level of Satisfaction | 2009 Jan. |
Feb. | Mar. | Apr. | May. | Jun. | Jul. | Aug. | Sep. | Oct. | Nov. | Dec. | 2010 Jan. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Politics | 8.1 | 1.8 | 6.8 | 13.4 | 12.7 | 7.8 | 10.5 | 16.0 | 53.1 | 39.1 | 35.3 | 14.1 | 10.1 |
| Economy | 4.5 | 2.1 | 7.7 | 10.5 | 10.2 | 9.9 | 7.8 | 8.8 | 16.2 | 13.7 | 7.8 | 10.3 | 10.7 |
| Personal security | 21.9 | 23.4 | 25.1 | 26.4 | 26.5 | 33.3 | 24.6 | 25.6 | 35.5 | 32.2 | 26.6 | 29.8 | 34.1 |
| Neighborhood where you live | 66.3 | 65.3 | 65.2 | 70.2 | 66.9 | 68.0 | 67.4 | 68.1 | 70.4 | 69.2 | 66.4 | 68.3 | 67.9 |
| Happenings in society | 17.1 | 12.6 | 20.3 | 16.3 | 13.8 | 17.8 | 17.1 | 17.3 | 29.9 | 26.5 | 15.7 | 20.9 | 18.7 |
- Overview of Lifestyle Priorities and Lifestyle Satisfaction Surveys
- Target population : males and females aged 18-75
- Sample size : 412 respondents
- Geographical scope : metropolitan region
- Survey method : by mail
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- *The number of valid responses and age distribution differ according to the responses collected each month.
