26.02.202606:37:23UTC+00Finnish Consumer Morale at Near 2-Year Low

Finland’s consumer confidence index fell to -10.5 in February 2026 from -8.7 in January, reaching its lowest level since April 2024 and moving further below the long-term average of -2.8. Households’ assessments of their own financial situation deteriorated (-5.5 vs -3.0 in January), and views on the broader Finnish economy became more pessimistic, both with regard to current conditions (-44.4 vs -41.8) and the outlook for the next 12 months (-17.9 vs -16.0).

Consumers also considered it a less favorable time to purchase durable goods (-20.9 vs -15.0), take out loans (-34.3 vs -29.9), or undertake major home-related purchases (11.2 vs 11.8). At the same time, inflation expectations strengthened: both perceived current inflation (4.6% vs 4.1%) and expectations for inflation one year ahead (4.0% vs 3.5%) moved higher.

Although concerns about unemployment eased marginally, sentiment remained weak. Assessments of the general unemployment outlook were still negative (-25.6 vs -26.5), and households’ perceptions of their own risk of unemployment, while slightly less severe, remained subdued (-16.0 vs -18.4).