Eurozone consumer confidence drops to -16.5 in September, ending four consecutive months of improvement

(1) The Eurozone consumer confidence index for September 2026 fell to -16.5 from August’s six-month high of -15.5, in line with the preliminary reading. (2) This decline ends a four-month streak of improvement, as elevated energy costs related to Middle East conflicts have exacerbated market concerns about inflation and interest rate prospects. (3) The deterioration was broad-based, with all four sub-indices weakening, including households' views on past and future financial situations, expectations for the domestic economic outlook, and willingness to make major purchases. (4) Overall consumer confidence in the EU also weakened, with the index dropping from -15.0 in August to -15.8.