Consumer confidence fell for the third consecutive quarter at the end of 2019

Consumer confidence in Northern Ireland fell again in the fourth quarter of 2019 as the lack of an Executive, Brexit and the impact of higher prices negatively impacted how people were feeling.

The Danske Bank Northern Ireland Consumer Confidence Index fell to 129 in Q4 2019, down from 131 in the third quarter of the year but above the reading of 127 posted in the fourth quarter of 2018.

Local political uncertainty was the factor that had the most significant negative impact on confidence at the end of 2019, with 40 per cent of respondents noting the absence of devolved government as the largest drag on confidence levels. Brexit was another factor that adversely impacted how people were feeling. And 18 per cent of people selected the impact that higher prices had on their household finances as having the most negative influence on them.

With regards to factors that positively impacted how local people were feeling, 25 per cent highlighted rising wages, 11 per cent selected low interest rates and ten per cent identified increasing house prices.

Read the Consumer Confidence 2019 Q4 report here