By Maria Martinez BERLIN (Reuters) -The economic and political sentiment among consumers in Germany is increasingly worsening, a European survey by Boston Consulting Group (BCG) showed on Tuesday. The
Rising Consumer Pessimism in Germany Amid Economic and Political Woes
By Maria Martinez
BERLIN (Reuters) -The economic and political sentiment among consumers in Germany is increasingly worsening, a European survey by Boston Consulting Group (BCG) showed on Tuesday.
The study shows that 62% of Germans view the economic situation negatively, marking an increase of 10 percentage points from the previous year. Similarly, two-thirds express dissatisfaction with the political climate.
The survey, conducted in April among 16,000 consumers across nine European countries, shows that in France and Britain, negative assessments of the economic situation are even more critical, at 70%.
In Germany, almost a third of consumers are worried about their personal financial situation, compared with only 25% last year. Despite declining inflation rates, 70% of respondents are afraid of further price increases, the survey showed.
The perception of geopolitical risks, however, is significantly lower.
Although the survey coincided with the announcement of global tariff increases by the U.S. government in early April, this was a reason for concern for less than a third of the surveyed Europeans.
"Consumers focus on visible price increases, underestimating how strongly trade conflicts can influence prices and supply," said Karin von Funck, senior partner and consumer goods expert at BCG.
(Reporting by Maria Martinez, Editing by Miranda Murray)
