Brasília – Brazilian consumers are more optimistic in the beginning of this year than at the end of 2016, the National Confederation of Industry (CNI) reported this Friday (27). According to the association, the National Consumer Confidence Index (Inec) went up 3.5% in January 2017 in comparison to December of last year, going from 100.3 points to 103.8 points.
If compared to January 2016, when it was 98.6 points, the index rose 5.3%. Even so, the indicator is 4.5% below the historical average of 108.7 points. “The main reason for the improvement of the index is the optimism of consumers regarding the future improvement of employment, prices and income,” said CNI.
In São Paulo, Brazil’s largest market, however, the Federation of Commerce of the State of São Paulo (FecomércioSP) showed that its Consumer Confidence Index (ICC) declined from 110.7 points in December 2016 to 102.2 points in January of this year, or 7.7%. In comparison to January 2016, however, the ICC increased 14.8%.
*Translated by Sérgio Kakitani
