Australia: February Consumer Confidence Down 1.2 to 132.0 - Highest Recorded February Result
| Article No. 372 -
February 12, 2005 |
The Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence Rating remains at record levels, despite a small drop of 1.2 points to 132.0 points in February. This is down from 133.2 points in January, the highest Consumer Confidence result since first surveyed by Roy Morgan Research in 1973. The latest result is 21.7 points higher than the February average of 110.3 and 5.2 points higher than a year ago.
The drop is driven by the sense that now is not a good time to buy and attitudes towards economic conditions over the next twelve months, both for Australia as a whole and for individual financial prospects.
Now, less Australians (58%, down 3% since January) are saying now is a good time to buy major household items, such as electrical appliances or furniture. This is 4% lower than this time last year. Eleven percent (unchanged) said now is a bad time to buy major household items.
The proportion of Australians expecting good economic times over the coming year fell 2% to 50% with 15% (up 1%) expecting bad times. Meanwhile, 41% (unchanged) in February expect Australia to experience good economic conditions over the next five years, with 13% (down 1%) expecting bad economic times over the same period.
Australians’ attitude to their own financial situation and prospects remains fairly stable. Looking ahead, 46% (down 1%) of Australians expect to be better off financially this time next year, while 11% (unchanged) expect to be worse off. Thirty six percent (unchanged) say their personal financial situation is better now than it was last year, with 21% (unchanged) saying they are now worse off.
The Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence Rating is based on 1,250 face-to-face interviews conducted Australia-wide on the weekend of February 5/6, 2005.
Further information:
Gary Morgan : Office (03) 9224 5213 Mobile 0411 129 094 Home (03) 9419 3242
Michele Levine : Office (03) 9224 5215 Mobile 0411 129 093 Home (03) 9817 3066

|
Monthly Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence Rating Figures |
|
Year |
Jan |
Feb |
Mar |
Apr |
May |
Jun |
Jul |
Aug |
Sep |
Oct |
Nov |
Dec |
Yearly Average |
|
1973 |
|
|
119.2 |
|
|
117.0 |
|
|
108.4 |
|
|
103.8 |
112.1 |
|
1974 |
|
|
103.2 |
|
|
95.6 |
|
|
90.6 |
|
|
92.2 |
95.4 |
|
1975 |
|
|
114.0 |
|
|
104.2 |
|
|
100.8 |
|
|
103.0 |
105.5 |
|
1976 |
113.6 |
|
107.0 |
110.2 |
|
107.0 |
105.6 |
|
108.0 |
108.8 |
101.2 |
|
107.7 |
|
1977 |
104.2 |
|
98.6 |
101.6 |
|
103.8 |
99.4 |
|
105.0 |
104.4 |
109.4 |
|
103.3 |
|
1978 |
119.2 |
|
114.8 |
110.8 |
|
109.6 |
101.6 |
|
91.2 |
104.4 |
103.6 |
|
106.9 |
|
1979 |
110.2 |
|
106.2 |
109.4 |
|
92.6 |
90.2 |
|
99.4 |
97.6 |
98.8 |
|
100.6 |
|
1980 |
98.8 |
|
100.8 |
97.4 |
|
101.6 |
98.2 |
|
104.4 |
109.8 |
106.4 |
|
102.2 |
|
1981 |
113.4 |
|
111.8 |
101.8 |
|
100.8 |
95.0 |
|
92.4 |
98.2 |
98.0 |
|
101.4 |
|
1982 |
92.4 |
|
91.8 |
93.6 |
|
92.2 |
80.4 |
|
84.6 |
81.2 |
75.2 |
|
86.4 |
|
1983 |
87.8 |
|
97.4 |
96.0 |
|
95.4 |
98.2 |
|
100.6 |
106.4 |
113.2 |
|
99.4 |
|
1984 |
124.6 |
|
120.8 |
120.8 |
|
115.6 |
116.6 |
|
118.2 |
117.8 |
114.6 |
|
118.6 |
|
1985 |
114.8 |
|
110.2 |
99.4 |
|
98.0 |
100.8 |
|
106.8 |
107.8 |
94.8 |
|
104.1 |
|
1986 |
105.4 |
|
103.8 |
94.6 |
94.8 |
91.6 |
79.8 |
79.8 |
78.8 |
89.8 |
85.6 |
88.8 |
90.3 |
|
1987 |
90.4 |
88.0 |
86.8 |
90.8 |
91.8 |
93.4 |
98.6 |
96.4 |
94.8 |
104.0 |
87.2 |
93.0 |
92.9 |
|
1988 |
100.4 |
98.8 |
103.6 |
106.2 |
104.0 |
104.0 |
107.6 |
108.2 |
112.4 |
108.8 |
104.2 |
105.8 |
105.3 |
|
1989 |
105.0 |
94.6 |
88.4 |
88.4 |
87.4 |
72.8 |
73.0 |
78.8 |
82.0 |
79.0 |
81.0 |
80.0 |
84.2 |
|
1990 |
101.6 |
95.6 |
83.4 |
88.3 |
84.7 |
83.1 |
79.6 |
83.9 |
75.6 |
71.4 |
73.1 |
71.3 |
82.6 |
|
1991 |
78.5 |
85.4 |
85.0 |
87.2 |
87.7 |
88.6 |
98.1 |
95.2 |
93.3 |
95.8 |
91.1 |
83.0 |
89.1 |
|
1992 |
93.6 |
95.9 |
96.2 |
105.4 |
101.6 |
97.7 |
95.4 |
96.9 |
96.8 |
101.2 |
93.6 |
92.9 |
97.3 |
|
1993 |
100.8 |
100.4 |
105.9 |
102.3 |
102.2 |
96.2 |
96.6 |
100.8 |
90.2 |
103.5 |
111.9 |
108.5 |
101.6 |
|
1994 |
120.5 |
127.5 |
125.7 |
127.7 |
125.2 |
128.0 |
127.6 |
123.8 |
123.6 |
124.6 |
118.1 |
118.0 |
124.2 |
|
1995 |
112.3 |
112.4 |
113.9 |
114.7 |
112.0 |
112.4 |
110.2 |
115.5 |
111.7 |
116.2 |
114.3 |
111.9 |
113.1 |
|
1996 |
116.7 |
119.1 |
123.7 |
121.5 |
118.8 |
117.8 |
112.3 |
114.4 |
113.2 |
111.3 |
113.4 |
113.2 |
116.3 |
|
1997 |
119.2 |
115.1 |
116.2 |
112.5 |
114.2 |
115.5 |
110.7 |
111.7 |
112.4 |
112.8 |
111.6 |
110.6 |
113.5 |
|
1998 |
117.8 |
116.0 |
114.9 |
110.2 |
114.4 |
109.8 |
107.6 |
111.1 |
111.0 |
113.9 |
114.2 |
114.7 |
112.8 |
|
1999 |
122.1 |
121.8 |
122.5 |
119.6 |
122.5 |
122.2 |
118.2 |
122.8 |
122.3 |
119.6 |
122.8 |
122.2 |
121.6 |
|
2000 |
122.3 |
119.9 |
112.9 |
116.6 |
112.0 |
108.7 |
114.8 |
119.1 |
115.8 |
115.6 |
110.3 |
112.3 |
115.0 |
|
2001 |
119.9 |
109.5 |
106.2 |
103.6 |
107.4 |
108.6 |
115.3 |
116.4 |
120.9* |
106.8 |
109.4 |
113.3 |
111.4 |
|
2002 |
124.8 |
123.0 |
122.3 |
123.2 |
124.0 |
116.4 |
123.4 |
119.9 |
122.1 |
117.2 |
114.0 |
109.6 |
120.0 |
|
2003 |
122.5 |
113.4 |
109.9 |
120.8 |
127.0 |
122.4 |
123.2 |
122.4 |
123.2 |
121.2 |
124.2 |
120.4 |
120.9 |
| 2004 |
126.0 |
126.8 |
130.4 |
124.4 |
125.0 |
125.6 |
128.9 |
127.6 |
126 |
128.9 |
124.8 |
125.5 |
126.7 |
| 2005 |
133.2 |
132.0 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
132.6 |
|
|
|
Monthly Average |
110.4 |
110.3 |
107.7 |
106.9 |
108.2 |
104.6 |
103.7 |
107.6 |
104.3 |
106.1 |
104.1 |
104.0 |
106.5 |
* The Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence Rating for September 15/16, 2001, conducted by telephone, was 102.3. |
Results for the Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence Rating* for the component questions over the more recent surveys are as follows: |
|
2004 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Interviews |
|
1142 |
1038 |
1231 |
1160 |
1092 |
1246 |
1157 |
967 |
1187 |
1110 |
1120 |
|
Q1 Would you say you and your family are better-off financially or worse off than you were at this time last year? |
|
Over the past year |
better off |
|
33 |
34 |
33 |
33 |
35 |
36 |
35 |
38 |
35 |
34 |
36 |
|
|
worse off |
|
29 |
25 |
26 |
27 |
26 |
23 |
27 |
23 |
25 |
21 |
23 |
|
QUESTION 1 difference |
|
4 |
9 |
7 |
6 |
9 |
13 |
8 |
15 |
10 |
13 |
13 |
|
Q2 This time next year, do you and your family expect to be better-off financially or worse off than you are now? |
|
|
better off |
|
44 |
46 |
42 |
42 |
44 |
43 |
46 |
46 |
46 |
40 |
46 |
|
|
worse off |
|
14 |
10 |
13 |
16 |
12 |
13 |
12 |
13 |
11 |
13 |
12 |
|
QUESTION 2 difference |
|
30 |
36 |
29 |
26 |
32 |
30 |
34 |
33 |
35 |
27 |
34 |
|
Q3 Thinking of economic conditions in Australia as a whole. In the next 12 months, do you expect we?ll have good times financially, bad times or some good and some bad? |
|
|
good times |
|
47 |
48 |
43 |
43 |
41 |
44 |
43 |
39 |
45 |
45 |
46 |
|
|
bad times |
|
20 |
14 |
19 |
20 |
18 |
16 |
16 |
16 |
14 |
16 |
16 |
|
QUESTION 3 difference |
|
27 |
34 |
24 |
23 |
23 |
28 |
27 |
23 |
31 |
29 |
30 |
|
Q4 Looking ahead, what would you say is more likely, that in Australia as a whole, we?ll have continuous good times during the next 5 years of so> or we?ll have bad times> or some good and some bad? |
|
|
good times |
|
41 |
39 |
35 |
35 |
35 |
37 |
37 |
33 |
37 |
34 |
33 |
|
|
bad times |
|
17 |
13 |
18 |
15 |
14 |
15 |
15 |
13 |
15 |
19 |
16 |
|
QUESTION 4 difference |
|
24 |
26 |
17 |
20 |
21 |
22 |
11 |
20 |
22 |
15 |
17 |
|
Q5 Generally, do you think now is a good time> or a bad time> for people to buy major household times? |
|
|
good time to buy |
|
62 |
59 |
60 |
60 |
56 |
62 |
58 |
53 |
58 |
53 |
51 |
|
|
bad time to buy |
|
13 |
12 |
13 |
10 |
13 |
10 |
11 |
14 |
13 |
13 |
18 |
|
QUESTION 5 difference |
|
49 |
47 |
47 |
50 |
43 |
52 |
47 |
39 |
45 |
40 |
33 |
|
|
|
Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence Rating |
|
126.8 |
130.4 |
124.4 |
125.0 |
125.6 |
128.9 |
127.6 |
126 |
128.9 |
124.8 |
125.5 |
|
|
* The Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence Rating is 100.0 plus the simple unweighted average of the difference between the percentage of respondents who give a favourable and those who give unfavourable answers to five key questions. |
Results for the Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence Rating* for the component questions over the more recent surveys are as follows: |
|
2005 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Interviews |
1,141 |
1,250 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Q1 Would you say you and your family are better-off financially or worse off than you were at this time last year? |
|
Over the past year |
better off |
36 |
36 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
worse off |
21 |
21 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
QUESTION 1 difference |
15 |
15 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Q2 This time next year, do you and your family expect to be better-off financially or worse off than you are now? |
|
|
better off |
47 |
46 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
worse off |
11 |
11 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
QUESTION 2 difference |
36 |
35 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Q3 Thinking of economic conditions in Australia as a whole. In the next 12 months, do you expect we?ll have good times financially, bad times or some good and some bad? |
|
|
good times |
52 |
50 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
bad times |
14 |
15 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
QUESTION 3 difference |
38 |
35 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Q4 Looking ahead, what would you say is more likely, that in Australia as a whole, we?ll have continuous good times during the next 5 years of so> or we?ll have bad times> or some good and some bad? |
|
|
good times |
41 |
41 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
bad times |
14 |
13 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
QUESTION 4 difference |
27 |
28 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Q5 Generally, do you think now is a good time> or a bad time> for people to buy major household times? |
|
|
good time to buy |
61 |
58 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
bad time to buy |
11 |
11 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
QUESTION 5 difference |
50 |
47 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence Rating |
133.2 |
132.0 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
* The Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence Rating is 100.0 plus the simple unweighted average of the difference between the percentage of respondents who give a favourable and those who give unfavourable answers to five key questions.
|
|