All five measures edge up in December, but confidence remains
subdued after a year of no progress
London, December 19th, 2025 – GfK’s long-running Consumer Confidence Index was up two points to -17 in December. All measures were up compared to last month’s announcement. These are the current findings of the GfK Consumer Confidence Barometer (CCB) powered by NIM. The CCB has been published jointly by GfK and the Nuremberg Institute for Market Decisions (NIM), the founder of GfK, since October 2023.
Neil Bellamy, Consumer Insights Director at GfK, an NIQ Company, says: “It’s tempting to see festive cheer in December’s two-point improvement in consumer confidence. Are we seeing a sigh of relief that the Autumn Budget wasn’t as bad as most had feared? All five measures are up this month led by a four-point jump in major purchase intentions. This is a surprise finding for the UK high street because it contrasts with the Black Friday sales slump we reported on earlier this month. Have people decided to spend on Christmas regardless, and worry about 2026 later? However, looking at the full year, the December headline score of -17 is the same as 12 months ago, and on that basis 2025 has been a year of no progress. UK households still face cost-of-living pressures, despite the recent softening in inflation, along with rising economic uncertainty, and those conditions result in weaker consumer confidence. Sadly, consumers resemble a family on a festive winter hike, crossing a boggy field – plodding along stoically, getting stuck in the mud and hoping that easier conditions are not far off.”
GfK Consumer Confidence Barometer powered by NIM — UK Measures – December 2025
The Overall Index Score was up two points to -17 in December. All measures were up compared to last month’s announcement.
Personal Financial Situation
The index measuring changes in personal finances over the last 12 months has increased by one point to -6. This is one point higher than December 2024.
The forecast for personal finances over the next year is up one point to 2. This is an improvement of one point compared to this time last year.
General Economic Situation
The measure for the country’s general economic situation over the last 12 months increased by three points to -40. This is one point lower than December 2024.
Expectations for the general economic situation over the next 12 months are up three points in December to -29. This is three points worse than this time last year.
Major Purchase Index
The Major Purchase Index went up by four points to -11; this is five points better than last year.
Savings Index
The Savings Index is unchanged at 24; this is three points higher than last year. This measure is commented on but not included in the Overall Index Score.
About the survey
Press Contact
For further details or an interview, please contact Greenfields Communications:
- The data in the GfK Consumer Confidence Barometer (CCB), powered by NIM, is collected by GfK. The CCB has been published jointly by GfK and the Nuremberg Institute for Market Decisions (NIM), the founder of GfK, since October 2023.
- This month’s survey was conducted among a sample of 2,003 individuals aged 16+ in the UK.
- Quotas are imposed on age, sex, region, and social class to ensure the final sample is representative of the UK population.
- Interviewing was conducted between December 1st and December 11th 2025.
- The figures in the GfK CCB powered by NIM have an estimated margin of error of +/-2%.
- The Overall Index Score is calculated using underlying data that runs to two decimal points.
- The press release dates for 2026 (all dates fall on a Friday) are: 23rd January, 27th February, 27th March, 24th April, 22nd May, 19th June, 24th July, 21st August, 25th September, 23rd October, 20th November and 18th December.
- Any published material must include a reference to the GfK Consumer Confidence Barometer, e.g. ‘Source: GfK Consumer Confidence Barometer powered by NIM’.
- This study has been running since 1974. Back data is available from 2006.
- The table below is an overview of the questions asked to obtain the individual index measures:
| Personal Financial Situation (Q1/Q2) | This index is based on the following questions to consumers: ‘How has the financial situation of your household changed over the last 12 months?’ ‘How do you expect the financial position of your household to change over the next 12 months?’ (a lot better – a little better – stay(ed) the same – a little worse – a lot worse) |
| General Economic Situation (Q3/Q4) | This index is based on the following questions to consumers: ‘How do you think the general economic situation in this country has changed over the last 12 months?’ ‘How do you expect the general economic situation in this country to develop over the next 12 months?’ (a lot better – a little better – stay(ed) the same – a little worse – a lot worse) |
| Major Purchase Index (Q8) | This index is based on the following question to consumers: ‘In view of the general economic situation, do you think now is the right time for people to make major purchases such as furniture or electrical goods?’ (right time – neither right nor wrong time – wrong time) |
| Savings Index (Q10) | This index is based on the following question to consumers: ‘In view of the general economic situation do you think now is?’ (a very good time to save – a fairly good time to save – not a good time to save – a very bad time to save) (Commented on but not included in the Index Score) |
About the GfK Consumer Confidence Barometer powered by NIM
There is no other consumer research project with the longevity, rigor, and reliability of GfK’s Consumer Confidence Barometer (CCB). Each month since January 1974, it has provided a snapshot of how UK consumers feel about the crucial economic topics today and their outlook for the next 12 months. It has provided insight into the UK’s thinking through boom and bust, the Brexit vote, and most recently the coronavirus pandemic. The CCB data collected by GfK has been published jointly with the Nuremberg Institute for Market Decisions (NIM) since October 2023. NIM is the founder of GfK.
About NIQ
NielsenIQ (NIQ) is a leading consumer intelligence company, delivering the most complete understanding of consumer buying behavior and revealing new pathways to growth. Our global reach spans over 90 countries covering approximately 85% of the world’s population and more than $7.2 trillion in global consumer spend. With a holistic retail read and the most comprehensive consumer insights—delivered with advanced analytics through state-of-the-art platforms—NIQ delivers the Full View™.
For more information, please visit www.niq.com.
About GfK – a NielsenIQ company
For over 90 years, we have earned the trust of our clients around the world by solving critical questions in their decision-making process. We fuel their growth by providing a complete understanding of their consumers’ buying behavior, and the dynamics impacting their markets, brands and media trends. In 2023, GfK combined with NIQ, bringing together two industry leaders with unparalleled global reach. With a holistic retail read and the most comprehensive consumer insights – delivered with advanced analytics through state-of-the-art platforms – GfK drives “Growth from Knowledge”. For more information, visit nielseniq.com
About NIM
The Nuremberg Institute for Market Decisions (NIM) is a non-profit research institute at the interface of academia and practice. NIM examines how consumer decisions change due to new technology, societal trends or the application of behavioral science, and what the resulting micro- and macroeconomic impacts are for the market and society as a whole. A better understanding of consumer decisions and their impacts helps society, businesses, politics, and consumers make better decisions with regard to “prosperity for all” in the sense of the social-ecological market system. The Nuremberg Institute for Market Decisions is the founder of GfK. For more information, visit www.nim.org/en and LinkedIn.
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