February 7 (SeeNews) - Bulgaria’s consumer confidence index rose by 4 percentage points in January compared to the level recorded in October last year, the statistical office said on Tuesday.
The climb in the index is chiefly due to the improved confidence among urban dwellers, by 4.9 pp against an increase of 1.8 pp for rural dwellers, the National Statistical Institute (NSI) said in a quarterly report.
Looking ahead at the next 12 months, expectations regarding financials and the economic situation in the country are more positive among city population than among rural inhabitants. Consumers' perceptions point to rising prices in the past 12 months, but their inflation projections for the next 12-month period are more moderate.
In relation to unemployment in Bulgaria over the next 12 months, there is a 10.5 pp decline in the balance indicator due to a shift in expectations towards a stable or slightly reduced level of joblessness.
"In January, the majority of the consumers continue to assess the economic situation in the country as unfavourable for savings," NSI said in the statement. It added that compared to the October review, most consumers were more favourably inclined towards spending on home improvements.