The trust of Italian consumers returns to grow before the new dear bills

In January 2025 the index of trust consumers grow For the second consecutive month, returning for the first time to the levels estimated in April 2024 and going from 96.3 a 98.2 Points. The composite index of the climate of trust of companies also increases, which increases from 95.3 to 95.7 points. It reports theIstat. This increase is mainly supported by the manufacturing sector and, in particular, by that of buildings.

Consumer confidence data

The climate of consumer trust records an increase after Three consecutive months of decrease. The growth of the index reflects a general improvement of evaluations, especially regarding the current and future economic situation. The opinions on the personal and current situation, however, show an attitude of greater caution and optimism.

A large consumers improvement of opinionsin particular with regard to the general economic situation and future expectations: the index of the economic climate goes from 96.1 to 101.3, while that relating to the future climate grows from 93.3 to 96.1.

The increase is more contained for the personal climate (the index rises from 96.4 to 97.1) and for the current one (from 98.6 to 99.8).

Also increasing for businesses

As for companies, the trusted index grows in the industrial sector (in the manufacture increases from 85.9 to 86.8 and in constructions records a significant increase from 100.9 to 104.2), while decreasing in market services (from 99.6 to 99.0) and in detail trade (from 106.9 to 106.5).

As for the components of the trusted indices, in industrial sector All voices mark an improvement. On the contrary, in market services, opinions on orders worsen, while those on business show positive signals. In the retail trade, the judgments on sales are positive, but future expectations fall, while the assessments on warehouse stocks remain stable.

In relation to the application on the degree of use of the plants, for manufacturing companies, Istat estimates a decrease for the third consecutive quarter: the percentage drops from 76.0% in the first quarter 2024 to 74.8% in the fourth quarter.

UNC: “Good ascent, even if that’s not enough”

A decline in trust that lasted continuously for 3 months, from October 2024 and for this reason, Massimiliano Dona, president of the ‘National Consumer Unioncommenting on Istat on the increase in trust.

But not everything is still good: “In fact, still a small gap compared to the trust of September, that is, before the descent began, when it was 98.3, that is, 0.1 more percentage points. In any case, it is positive that they improve both the judgments and the expectations both on the economic situation of Italy and on the family “.

“It is now about seeing if this trend will also be maintained in the coming months, after the arrival of the bills of light and gas and salaries of January 2024, considering that the collection of data on trust takes place in the first 15 days of the month, that is Before the sting and the bitter surprise that is about to hit the Italians, “concludes the lawyer.

“The increase in the trust of families and businesses is an important signal for the Italian economy, because it reflects a generalized growth in optimism and expectations that affects consumption, employment and investments”, echoes the Codacons.

The index “alone is not enough: the government must put specific measures aimed at supporting citizens’ consumption and fighting tensions on retail prices, especially on the fuel front, energy and raw materials whose lists in Strong growth risk having negative cascade effects on consumers and businesses during 2025. “