Romanians, the most pessimistic Europeans regarding economic perspectives | Progresiv
Economic forecasts among Romanian consumers continued to decline in the second quarter. Thus, with -22.2 points in June, the indicator decreased by 5.6 points compared to March. This is the lowest level recorded since April 2012. Romanians view the economic prospects of their own country with more pessimism than anywhere else in Europe, according to the GfK Consumer Climate study. 
Romanians' revenues expectations also fell. With -0.1 points in June, the indicator fell by 4.2 points compared to March, reaching its lowest level since June 2014.
Instead, the purchasing willingness slightly improved. It rose by 4 points, reaching 1.3 points in June, compared with March. In the first quarter of 2018, in Romania, the willingness to buy also had a negative value.
At the EU level, consumer sentiment in the 28 Member States slightly improved in the second quarter of 2018. In June, it reached 23.2 points, up by 2.6 points from March. It is the highest level since November 2017 to date. The average purchasing willingness in the EU slightly declined, although the willingness for savings also declined, with more money available for consumption.
Consumers have assessed the economic outlook. As an average in the EU, they are less encouraging than at the beginning of the year. The economic forecast reached 7.1 points in June. This is a clear decline, compared to the 15 points achieved in March. The level of confidence in economic development has diminished substantially, especially in Germany, France and Belgium. On the other hand, consumers in Spain and Italy viewed the activity of their own economy more favorably.
Expectations on revenue remained on average in the EU, reaching 16.8 points in June, 0.5 points above the March value. In Spain, Slovenia and Greece the indicator has increased considerably compared with the first quarter. Consumers also looked at their future wage developments with more optimism.
Compared to the first quarter, the willingness to buy slightly declined, reaching 17.6 points in June. This means 2.1 points less than in March. If the indicator has doubled in Bulgaria and France, while in Slovenia and Spain it has improved.
Despite a slight decline in purchasing willingness, the consumer sentiment in Europe measured by GfK rose to 23.2 points in the second quarter of 2018, as the calculation of the trend for savings is also taken into account here.
