The sharpest drop was seen in the economic climate, which fell from 99.1 to 88.1, signalling rising concerns over the broader macroeconomic outlook. The future component also declined to 85.3 from 93.1, indicating subdued expectations, while the current and personal components eased to 98.0 and 94.2 respectively, Istat said in a press release.
Italy’s consumer confidence fell sharply in March 2026, with the index dropping to 92.6 from 97.4, as all components weakened, led by declines in economic and future outlooks.
Business confidence remained stable at 97.3.
Manufacturing showed slight improvement, but retail trade sentiment dropped significantly due to weaker sales expectations and higher inventories.
In contrast, the overall business confidence indicator (IESI) remained largely unchanged, edging down marginally from 97.4 to 97.3, suggesting relative stability across productive sectors.
Manufacturing sentiment improved slightly to 88.8 from 88.5, supported by stronger order book assessments, although production expectations weakened and inventories thinned.
However, retail trade confidence declined significantly to 100.6 from 104.9, weighed down by weaker assessments of both current and future sales, alongside rising inventory levels.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (SG)
