UK consumer confidence remains positive as 2015 closes

For the first time, the GfK consumer confidence index has shown positive scores for an entire calendar year, and it’s closing 2015 with another positive index score for December as people feel more confident about their personal finances.

In December, the index rose one point to +2, with three of the measures used to calculate the index seeing increases, one remaining unchanged, and one decreasing. The one that decrease was the Major Purchase Index, which was down two points month-on-month to +7, which is still eight points higher than in December 2014.

Joe Staton, head of market dynamics at GfK, said: “Consumer confidence has remained strong for all of 2015 with an average at +3 for the past 12-months. This is the first time since the Consumer Confidence Barometer started in 1974 that the Index has remained positive for an entire calendar year.

“The last time we were able to report a similar long run of strong news was back in 2002, although the year ended on that occasion with an Index score of -4 after 11 consecutive positive monthly totals.”