Consumer confidence in financial condition marginally up by 1.1% in Dec: RBI Survey

14 Feb 2012 Evaluate

Indians who felt that their circumstances have improved financially went up marginally by 1.1% in December 2011 as compared to September 2011. However, optimism about an increase in future income, although high, has been descending over the last four quarters, according to the sixth round of Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) Consumer Confidence Survey December 2011.

According to the consumer survey, 57.1% of the respondents felt that their financial conditions had improved in December 2011 as compared to 56% in September. One fourth of the respondents continued to report weakening in this regard. Over 17% respondents reported that their household circumstances became worse off due to increase in price level. This proportion has declined during the last four quarters, from 25.7% in March 2011 to 17.1% in December 2011.

The survey further found that 64% of respondents said they expected their incomes to rise during the next one year period, down from over 66% who had the same view in September 2011. As per 46% of the respondents a rise in current income was the main factor for increase in spending. The study also found that over 80% of the respondents were of the view that the current interest rates were high from borrower’s viewpoint. The degree of negative perceptions on price levels for now as well as in future was up in December 2011 as compared with September 2011.

The survey had 5,400 respondents from six metropolitan cities -- New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad -- and was conducted in December 2011. The RBI started conducting the quarterly survey on consumer confidence in 2010. According to it, the change in consumer confidence has the potential to affect real economic activities through the changes in business sentiments and the findings of the survey on confidence level of consumers can be of use for policy making purposes.

Another survey conducted by the apex bank on inflation called 'Inflation Expectations Survey of Households: December 2011 (Round 26), has found that surveyed households expect inflation to be at 13.3% in December 2012, as compared to 12.9% perceived for September, 2012. Housewives expected inflation to stand at 13.7% in December 2012, whereas daily wage workers said it would be 13.8%. 

Further, both the financial sector employees and self-employed projected inflation to be 12.8% by the year-end. The general price expectations were observed to be more aligned with food price expectations as compared with other product groups. Around 90% of the respondents appeared to have been driven by expected changes in food prices for arriving at general price expectations, the survey said. 

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