Milan, Oct. 29 (LaPresse) – In October 2026, consumer confidence fell from 91.2 to 90.3, while the composite business confidence indicator rose from 95.9 to 96.6. Italy’s National Institute of Statistics (Istat) reported this. Among consumers, the economic climate declined from 88.0 to 82.9 and the current climate from 90.4 to 88.7; the personal climate rose from 92.4 to 93.0, while the future climate remained stable at 92.3. As regards consumers, “the negative trend in confidence is essentially driven by a marked deterioration in assessments of the overall economic situation, expectations regarding unemployment and views on the advisability of purchasing durable goods at the present time,” Istat continued. As for businesses, confidence improved in market services and construction, with the index rising from 97.1 to 99.6 and from 97.5 to 97.8, respectively. By contrast, the index fell from 104.3 to 100.7 in retail trade and remained stable in manufacturing at 91.9. Regarding the components of the confidence indices, manufacturing saw improvements in both assessments of order books and expectations for production levels, while stocks of finished products were considered to be accumulating. In construction, improving assessments of order levels were accompanied by declining employment expectations. In market services, all components showed positive trends. Among retail trade businesses, both assessments and expectations regarding sales deteriorated markedly. The balance of warehouse stocks remained broadly stable. According to assessments provided by businesses in manufacturing and construction, October saw an increase in uncertainty, accompanied by rising expectations for selling prices in both sectors.
Istat: consumer confidence falls in October, whilst business confidence rises
Milan, Oct. 29 (LaPresse) – In October 2026, consumer confidence fell from 91.2 to 90.3, while the composite business confidence indicator rose from 95.9 to 96.6. Italy’s National Institute of Statistics (Istat) reported this. Among consumers, the economic climate declined from 88.0 to 82.9 and the current climate from 90.4 to 88.7; the personal climate rose from 92.4 to 93.0, while the future climate remained stable at 92.3. As regards consumers, “the negative trend in confidence is essentially driven by a marked deterioration in assessments of the overall economic situation, expectations regarding unemployment and views on the advisability of purchasing durable goods at the present time,” Istat continued. As for businesses, confidence improved in market services and construction, with the index rising from 97.1 to 99.6 and from 97.5 to 97.8, respectively. By contrast, the index fell from 104.3 to 100.7 in retail trade and remained stable in manufacturing at 91.9. Regarding the components of the confidence indices, manufacturing saw improvements in both assessments of order books and expectations for production levels, while stocks of finished products were considered to be accumulating. In construction, improving assessments of order levels were accompanied by declining employment expectations. In market services, all components showed positive trends. Among retail trade businesses, both assessments and expectations regarding sales deteriorated markedly. The balance of warehouse stocks remained broadly stable. According to assessments provided by businesses in manufacturing and construction, October saw an increase in uncertainty, accompanied by rising expectations for selling prices in both sectors.