Better moods in January
Consumers began the New Year 2010 in much better moods. The CCI – Consumer Confidence Index – measured by Ipsos in January rose by 5 points (to 89.4) on December’s level. Consumers are now more optimistic about both the country’s economic situation and their own finances. This is seen in better ratings for the economic climate and consumers’ willingness to buy.
Nevertheless, there are still more Poles who are pessimistic about the current situation than there are those showing optimism.
The index for ratings of the economic climate improved by 5 points, reaching a level of 76.5. The improvement in regard to domestic matters is particularly visible among Poles living in the big cities and among people not working: students, pupils and pensioners.
Poles also see their own financial situation in a better light now: their willingness to buy index rose by 5 points to 98. As far as buying durables is concerned, ratings now were much better than in December. Worth noting is that better ratings tended to be given by residents of medium-sized and small towns and by people aged 25 to 50 rather than by residents of large cities. This means that the improvement in consumer ratings is only linked to a small degree to seasonal sales of clothes and footwear, currently seen above all in big towns and cities. The improvement in ratings may thus be of a more durable character.
However, Poles’ expectations regarding unemployment this year have not changed. A large proportion – as many as 42% – expect the jobless figures to rise, while only 10% anticipate a drop.
The CCI Consumer Confidence Index can take a value of from 0 to 200 points. The latest survey is based on the findings of a survey conducted between 8 and 14 January 2010 on a representative random-quota sample of 1009 Poles aged 15 and above.
WOK-eng
- The Consumer Confidence Index (CCI) and its components
The Consumer Confidence Index (Polish acronym: WOK) is based on questions placed in a monthly survey that has been conducted since December 1991. The population studied are inhabitants of Poland age 15 or over. The survey is conducted on a representative sample of 1000 persons. 
