Australian Consumer Confidence Down Marginally Pre-Budget
| Article No. 637 -
May 14, 2007 |
The Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence Rating for May is 122.5, down 1.8 points from April and 0.5 points below the 2007 average of 123.
Expectations of good economic conditions in Australia over the coming year are 46% (up 3%), while expectations of bad economic conditions over the coming year are 19% (unchanged).
Looking ahead, 41% (down 1%) expect to be better off financially this time next year, while 14% (up 1%) expect to be worse off.
The number of Australians expecting good economic times over the next five years is 35% (down 2%) compared to 19% (unchanged) of Australians who expect bad economic times over the next five years.
Currently, 34% (down 2%) say their personal financial situation is better now than it was last year, while 27% (up 3%) say they are now worse off.
Fifty-two per cent (down 1%) of Australians consider now a good time to buy major household items compared to 17% (up 2%) say it is a bad time.
Gary Morgan says:
“Although the May Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence rating of 122.5 is down marginally from the April rating of 124.3, Australians are still relatively upbeat about their current economic circumstances.
“With recent economic data suggesting there will be no interest rate rises in the foreseeable future, and last week’s Budget being generally well received, confidence should remain around its current level for some time yet.
“Interviewing for this month’s Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence rating was conducted the weekend after Labor’s National Conference — where the ALP announced its alternative industrial relations policy, which has been subsequently rejected by business groups — and before Peter Costello’s budget announcements.”
This month’s Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence Rating is based on 1,215 face-to-face interviews conducted Australia-wide with men and women aged 14 and over on the weekend of May 5/6, 2007.
For 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 |
121.5 |
119.4 |
119.5 |
118.8 |
116.8 |
120.6 |
114.3 |
105.4 |
110.6 |
117.7 |
119.2 |
| 2006 |
124.3 |
124.5 |
124.4 |
120.1 |
106.8 |
115.1 |
118.1 |
103.7^ |
108.6 |
115.8 |
111.5 |
117.4 |
115.9 |
| 2007 |
123.9 |
123.8 |
120.7 |
124.3 |
122.5 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
123.0 |
|
|
|
Monthly Average |
111.3 |
111.6 |
109.0 |
108.2 |
109.3 |
105.4 |
104.6 |
108.3 |
104.7 |
106.4 |
104.6 |
105.2 |
106.9 |
* The Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence Rating for September 15/16, 2001, conducted by telephone, was 102.3.
^ 84 of the 107 Western Australian interviews were conducted by telephone on August 9/10 due to a recent Southern WA Cyclone |

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 |
1,181 |
1,074 |
1,092 |
1,070 |
1,038 |
1,077 |
1,033 |
1,114 |
1,003 |
1,083 |
|
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 |
35 |
32 |
34 |
32 |
31 |
36 |
32 |
32 |
31 |
34 |
|
|
worse off |
21 |
21 |
24 |
26 |
28 |
24 |
30 |
27 |
30 |
32 |
30 |
27 |
|
QUESTION 1 difference |
15 |
15 |
11 |
6 |
6 |
8 |
1 |
9 |
2 |
0 |
1 |
7 |
|
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 |
44 |
43 |
42 |
41 |
41 |
40 |
39 |
39 |
35 |
40 |
|
|
worse off |
11 |
11 |
15 |
15 |
15 |
16 |
20 |
16 |
21 |
26 |
20 |
17 |
|
QUESTION 2 difference |
36 |
35 |
29 |
28 |
27 |
25 |
21 |
24 |
18 |
13 |
15 |
23 |
|
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 |
39 |
38 |
36 |
35 |
35 |
42 |
36 |
28 |
32 |
41 |
|
|
bad times |
14 |
15 |
23 |
26 |
24 |
25 |
27 |
23 |
28 |
39 |
32 |
23 |
|
QUESTION 3 difference |
38 |
35 |
16 |
12 |
12 |
10 |
8 |
19 |
8 |
-11 |
- |
18 |
|
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 five years of so - or we'll have bad times - or some good and some bad? |
|
|
good times |
41 |
41 |
36 |
33 |
33 |
30 |
30 |
32 |
30 |
25 |
28 |
31 |
|
|
bad times |
14 |
13 |
16 |
22 |
21 |
23 |
22 |
24 |
25 |
29 |
26 |
26 |
|
QUESTION 4 difference |
27 |
28 |
20 |
11 |
12 |
7 |
8 |
8 |
5 |
-4 |
2 |
5 |
|
Q5 Generally, do you think now is a good time - or a bad time - for people to buy major household items? |
|
|
good time to buy |
61 |
58 |
50 |
53 |
55 |
55 |
61 |
57 |
52 |
50 |
53 |
53 |
|
|
bad time to buy |
11 |
11 |
18 |
14 |
14 |
12 |
14 |
14 |
14 |
21 |
18 |
18 |
|
QUESTION 5 difference |
50 |
47 |
32 |
39 |
41 |
43 |
47 |
43 |
38 |
29 |
35 |
35 |
|
|
|
Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence Rating |
133.2 |
132.0 |
121.5 |
119.4 |
119.5 |
118.8 |
116.8 |
120.6 |
114.3 |
105.4 |
110.6 |
117.7 |
|
|
* 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: |
|
2006 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Interviews |
1,062 |
1,163 |
1,125 |
1,165 |
1,149 |
1,144 |
1,215 |
1,132 |
1,085 |
1,069 |
1,161 |
1,208 |
|
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 |
31 |
35 |
34 |
34 |
30 |
32 |
32 |
30 |
32 |
32 |
35 |
36 |
|
|
worse off |
26 |
25 |
25 |
27 |
35 |
30 |
31 |
34 |
32 |
27 |
27 |
24 |
|
QUESTION 1 difference |
5 |
10 |
9 |
7 |
-5 |
2 |
1 |
-4 |
0 |
5 |
8 |
12 |
|
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 |
42 |
44 |
45 |
43 |
37 |
41 |
40 |
35 |
38 |
39 |
39 |
41 |
|
|
worse off |
14 |
14 |
14 |
16 |
22 |
19 |
19 |
26 |
21 |
16 |
19 |
13 |
|
QUESTION 2 difference |
28 |
30 |
31 |
27 |
15 |
22 |
21 |
9 |
17 |
23 |
20 |
28 |
|
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 |
41 |
44 |
42 |
41 |
32 |
38 |
42 |
29 |
34 |
38 |
33 |
39 |
|
|
bad times |
21 |
21 |
20 |
25 |
34 |
26 |
25 |
38 |
32 |
26 |
31 |
24 |
|
QUESTION 3 difference |
20 |
23 |
22 |
16 |
-2 |
12 |
17 |
-9 |
2 |
12 |
2 |
15 |
|
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 five years of so - or we'll have bad times - or some good and some bad? |
|
|
good times |
36 |
35 |
34 |
34 |
30 |
29 |
33 |
29 |
30 |
32 |
28 |
33 |
|
|
bad times |
20 |
20 |
19 |
23 |
25 |
24 |
23 |
27 |
28 |
24 |
28 |
23 |
|
QUESTION 4 difference |
16 |
15 |
15 |
11 |
5 |
5 |
10 |
2 |
2 |
8 |
0 |
10 |
|
Q5 Generally, do you think now is a good time - or a bad time - for people to buy major household items? |
|
|
good time to buy |
64 |
59 |
58 |
55 |
45 |
51 |
57 |
46 |
45 |
50 |
49 |
45 |
|
|
bad time to buy |
12 |
14 |
13 |
15 |
24 |
17 |
16 |
27 |
23 |
19 |
22 |
23 |
|
QUESTION 5 difference |
52 |
45 |
45 |
40 |
21 |
34 |
41 |
19 |
22 |
31 |
27 |
22 |
|
|
|
Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence Rating |
124.3 |
124.5 |
124.4 |
120.1 |
106.8 |
115.1 |
118.1 |
103.7 |
108.6 |
115.8 |
111.5 |
117.4 |
|
|
* 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: |
|
2007 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Interviews |
1,077 |
1,251 |
1,115 |
1,150 |
1,215 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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 |
34 |
35 |
36 |
34 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
worse off |
25 |
26 |
26 |
24 |
27 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
QUESTION 1 difference |
11 |
8 |
9 |
12 |
7 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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 |
41 |
46 |
39 |
42 |
41 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
worse off |
16 |
15 |
15 |
13 |
14 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
QUESTION 2 difference |
25 |
31 |
24 |
29 |
27 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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 |
44 |
44 |
41 |
43 |
46 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
bad times |
21 |
21 |
21 |
19 |
19 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
QUESTION 3 difference |
23 |
23 |
20 |
24 |
27 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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 five years of so - or we'll have bad times - or some good and some bad? |
|
|
good times |
37 |
37 |
36 |
37 |
35 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
bad times |
17 |
20 |
21 |
19 |
19 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
QUESTION 4 difference |
20 |
17 |
15 |
18 |
16 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Q5 Generally, do you think now is a good time - or a bad time - for people to buy major household items? |
|
|
good time to buy |
57 |
56 |
52 |
53 |
52 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
bad time to buy |
17 |
16 |
16 |
15 |
17 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
QUESTION 5 difference |
40 |
40 |
36 |
38 |
35 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence Rating |
123.9 |
123.8 |
120.7 |
124.3 |
122.5 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
* 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.
|
Margin of Error The margin of error to be allowed for in any estimate depends mainly on the number of interviews on which it is based. The following table gives indications of the likely range within which estimates would be 95% likely to fall, expressed as the number of percentage points above or below the actual estimate. The figures are approximate and for general guidance only, and assume a simple random sample. Allowance for design effects (such as stratification and weighting) should be made as appropriate.
|
Sample Size |
Percentage Estimate |
| |
40%-60% |
25% or 75% |
10% or 90% |
5% or 95% |
|
1,000 |
±3.2 |
±2.7 |
±1.9 |
±1.4 |
|
1,500 |
±2.6 |
±2.2 |
±1.5 |
±1.1 |
|