Istat: January consumer confidence rises to 96.8 and business confidence to 97.6

In January 2026, the consumer confidence index rose slightly from 96.6 to 96.8 and the composite indicator of business confidence increased from 96.6 to 97.6. This was reported by Istat.

In the first month of 2026, there was a slight improvement in consumer sentiment and a stronger improvement in business sentiment; the favourable trend in the latter was driven mainly by the market services sector and, to a lesser extent, by the manufacturing sector; on the other hand, in retail trade, businessmen's assessments are negative overall in both large-scale and traditional distribution,' Istat notes.

"As for the consumers, the slight increase is supported by expectations about the general economic situation (including those about unemployment) and judgments about the personal economic situation as well as improved opinions about the opportunity/possibility to save," the institute continues.

In detail, among consumers, there was a slight improvement in opinions on the national economic picture and the future situation, while assessments of the current and personal sphere were more cautious: the economic climate increased from 97.0 to 97.4 and the future climate rose from 91.6 to 92.3; the personal climate rose from 96.4 to 96.6 and the current climate remained substantially stable.

With regard to enterprises, the confidence index rises sharply in market services (from 100.2 to 103.4) and also rises in manufacturing (from 88.5 to 89.2), while it decreases in construction (from 101.0 to 99.8) and, above all, in retail trade (from 106.9 to 102.5).