The household confidence index, related to the perception of changes in the standard of living, unemployment, the opportunity to make purchases of durable goods and the financial situation of households, is established at 68.3 points, instead of 61.2 points posted the previous quarter and 75.7 points a year earlier, said the HCP in its household survey.

These results also reveal that 64.8% of households declared a deterioration in the standard of living during the last 12 months, 20.9% a maintenance of the same level and 14.3% an improvement. The balance of opinion on past changes in living standards remained negative, at minus 50.5 points, against minus 46.6 points in the previous quarter and minus 19.8 points in the same quarter of 2020.

Over the next 12 months, 26.0% of households expect a deterioration in living standards, 34.8% a maintenance of the same level and 39.2% an improvement. Thus, the balance of opinion relating to this indicator stands at 13.2 points, an improvement compared to the previous quarter and to the same quarter of the previous year where it was at minus 17.4 points and minus 4.6 points respectively.

In addition, the HCP reported that 76.1% of households against 13.9% expect unemployment to rise over the next 12 months, noting that the balance of opinion has remained negative at minus 62.2 points against minus 78.3 points a quarter earlier and minus 70.8 points a year earlier.

At the same time, it indicated that 73.2% against 11.7% of households consider that the time is not right to make purchases of durable goods. The balance of opinion for this indicator remained negative with minus 61.5 points against minus 61.2 points in the previous quarter and minus 32.6 points in the same quarter of 2020.

Regarding their financial situations, 55.8% of households believe that their income covers their expenses, 39.3% say they get into debt or use their savings and 4.9% say they save part of their income, underlined the same source, adding that the balance of opinion relating to the current financial situation of households remained negative, at minus 34.4 points against minus 29.1 points the previous quarter and minus 27.7 points a year earlier.