The Consumer confidence indicator decreased in February, after increasing in the previous two months. The decrease observed in the reference month was driven by negative contributions from all components: expectations on the future evolution of major purchases by households, of the country’s economic and, to a lesser extent, of opinions on the past evolution and perspectives on the future evolution of households’ financial situation. 

The balance of Consumer opinions on past price developments increased in January and February, after decreasing in the previous two months, while the balance of expectations on future price developments increased significantly  between December and February, following the decreases recorded in the previous three months.

The economic climate indicator increased slightly in February, after having decreased the previous month. The confidence indicators increased in Services and in Manufacturing Industry, having decreased in Trade and in Construction and Public Works.

The confidence indicator of Services increased in February, driven by the significant positive contributions from the perspectives on the evolution of demand and opinions on the evolution of the order books. The confidence indicator in the Manufacturing Industry also increased in the reference month, reflecting the expressive positive contribution of the production perspectives over the next three months. Conversely, the Trade confidence indicator decreased in February, reflecting the negative contributions from opinions on the volume of sales and activities perspectives over the next three months. In turn, the confidence indicator of Construction and Public Works decreased in the last month, reflecting the negative contribution of the perspectives on employment.

In February, the entrepreneurs’ expectations regarding the future evolution of selling prices increased in Services sectors, having decreased in Manufacturing Industry, in Trade and in Construction and Public Works sectors.