The Consumer confidence indicator increased in September, after decreasing in the previous month. The increase observed in the last month was driven by positive contributions of opinions on the past evolution and expectations on the future evolution, of households’ financial situation, and to a lesser extent, of perspectives on the future evolution of the country’s economic situation. In contrast, expectations on the future evolution of major purchases by households contributed negatively. 

The balance of Consumer opinions on past price developments decreased in the last two months, after rising markedly in July, while the balance of expectations on future price developments declined in September, following increases in the previous two months.

The economic climate indicator increased in August and September, extending the upward movement observed since April. The confidence indicators increased in Trade and in Manufacturing Industry, having decreased in Services and in Construction and Public Works.

The Trade confidence indicator increased between July and September, after declining in the previous four months, reflecting the positive contributions from the expectations on the firm’s activity over the next three month and the opinions on the volume of sales. Also in the Manufacturing Industry, the confidence indicator increased between February and September, with the firm’s production perspectives being the only component contributing positively to the evolution of the indicator in the last month. The Services confidence indicator decreased in September, after having increased in the previous month, with all components contributing negatively to the evolution of the confidence indicator, opinions on the evolution of the order books, assessments of the firm's activity and perspectives on the evolution of demand. Also, the confidence indicator of Construction and Public Works decreased in the last three months, after having increased in May and June, reflecting the negative contribution from both components, perspectives on employment and opinions on current order books.

In September, the entrepreneurs’ expectations regarding the future evolution of selling prices increased only in the Manufacturing Industry sector, having decreased in Construction and Public Works, and the last four months in Trade and Services sector, significantly in September.