Indonesian consumers among the world’s most optimistic
Indonesian consumers are still happy these days, particularly when compared to their neighbours. The country ranks as the most optimistic in Southeast Asia, according to the latest consumer confidence survey from Nielsen, with neighbouring nations feeling less confident in their buying power amid an uptick in political instability and rising food prices.
Consumers in several Southeast Asia countries are still among the world’s most optimistic, according to the survey by Nielsen, a global consumer research company, but in recent months they have become less bullish.
Thailand showed the region’s largest drop in confidence between the first and second quarter of 2014 after months of political turmoil ended with a military-led coup in May.
Confrontation with China over conflicting maritime claims caused a drop in Vietnam, and in Singapore concerns about future job prospects led confidence to dip slightly from a two-year high recorded in the previous quarter, according to the survey. Indonesia’s confidence index dropped by a point but still remained the highest in the region and the second-highest globally.
The Nielsen survey was conducted in May, a month after a peaceful legislative election in the world’s third-largest democracy but ahead of a close presidential race that left room for some political uncertainty. Of the six countries surveyed, only the Philippines and Malaysia saw a boost in confidence.
The survey also measured major concerns among consumers, with job security and food prices among the key worries. In Indonesia, 85 per cent of respondents said they believed their personal finances were in good or excellent condition, with many saying they were saving spare cash for the future.
As income levels have increased across the region, with more and more people joining the ranks of the middle class, people have also become more aware of how they manage their money and financial matters, a statement released along with the survey said.
In Indonesia, the number one concern is the economy, followed by work-life balance. That is true for most of the other six countries aside from Vietnam, where the number one concern among consumers is war. The survey was conducted at the time of an ongoing territorial dispute between Vietnam and China over parts of the South China Sea.
Globally, consumer confidence rose slightly in the second quarter of the year to 97, still well below the optimism shown by consumers in Indonesia at 123. The survey measures confidence around a baseline of 100, with numbers above that showing optimism.
Indonesian consumers are still happy these days, particularly when compared to their neighbours. The country ranks as the most optimistic in Southeast Asia, according to the latest consumer confidence survey from Nielsen, with neighbouring nations feeling less confident in their buying power amid an uptick in political instability and rising food prices. Consumers in several Southeast Asia countries are still among the world’s most optimistic, according to the survey by Nielsen, a global consumer research company, but in recent months they have become less bullish. Thailand showed the region’s largest drop in confidence between the first and second quarter of...
Indonesian consumers are still happy these days, particularly when compared to their neighbours. The country ranks as the most optimistic in Southeast Asia, according to the latest consumer confidence survey from Nielsen, with neighbouring nations feeling less confident in their buying power amid an uptick in political instability and rising food prices.
Consumers in several Southeast Asia countries are still among the world’s most optimistic, according to the survey by Nielsen, a global consumer research company, but in recent months they have become less bullish.
Thailand showed the region’s largest drop in confidence between the first and second quarter of 2014 after months of political turmoil ended with a military-led coup in May.
Confrontation with China over conflicting maritime claims caused a drop in Vietnam, and in Singapore concerns about future job prospects led confidence to dip slightly from a two-year high recorded in the previous quarter, according to the survey. Indonesia’s confidence index dropped by a point but still remained the highest in the region and the second-highest globally.
The Nielsen survey was conducted in May, a month after a peaceful legislative election in the world’s third-largest democracy but ahead of a close presidential race that left room for some political uncertainty. Of the six countries surveyed, only the Philippines and Malaysia saw a boost in confidence.
The survey also measured major concerns among consumers, with job security and food prices among the key worries. In Indonesia, 85 per cent of respondents said they believed their personal finances were in good or excellent condition, with many saying they were saving spare cash for the future.
As income levels have increased across the region, with more and more people joining the ranks of the middle class, people have also become more aware of how they manage their money and financial matters, a statement released along with the survey said.
In Indonesia, the number one concern is the economy, followed by work-life balance. That is true for most of the other six countries aside from Vietnam, where the number one concern among consumers is war. The survey was conducted at the time of an ongoing territorial dispute between Vietnam and China over parts of the South China Sea.
Globally, consumer confidence rose slightly in the second quarter of the year to 97, still well below the optimism shown by consumers in Indonesia at 123. The survey measures confidence around a baseline of 100, with numbers above that showing optimism.
