The Consumer Confidence Index (ICC) advanced 3.8 points in April to 78.6 points, the highest level since August 2021 (81.8 points). In quarterly moving averages, the index changed 1.5 points to 77.1 points.
The data were released today (25) by the Brazilian Institute of Economics of the Getulio Vargas Foundation (Ibre/FGV).
According to the coordinator of the Surveys, Viviane Seda Bittencourt, the positive results this month seem to be related to the end of the outbreak of the Ômicron variant and the announcement of a package of measures to alleviate the pressure of inflation and interest on family finances with the release of FGTS withdrawals, anticipation of the thirteenth salary of retirees and easier access to credit.
“There was a decrease in pessimism regarding the job market, but high inflation and high interest rates still worry families, who remain cautious about making high-value purchases,” the researcher said in a note.
In April, the rise in the ICC was influenced both by improved assessments of the current situation and expectations for the coming months. The Current Situation Index (ISA) rose 3.8 points to 69.1 points and the Expectations Index (IE) advanced 3.6 points to 86.1 points, both achieving their best results since August 2021 (69 .8 and 90.9 points, respectively).
According to Ibre/FGV, in the evaluations about the moment, the highlight was the improvement in consumer evaluations regarding the financial situation of families, whose indicator rose 5.5 points to 62.4 points, the highest level since October 2021 ( 63.8 points). There was also an improvement in the perception of the general state of the economy. In this case, the indicator increased by two points to 76.4 points.
Among the items that make up the ICC, the indicator that measures the outlook on the general economic situation in the coming months was the one that most influenced the rise in confidence in the month, varying by 8.3 points, to 101.6 points. For the third month, there was an improvement in expectations for family finances, with an increase of 1.2 points in the indicator, to 90.9 points.
According to the survey, despite the positive result of the perspectives on the economy and family finances, the intention to purchase durable goods remains weak and with an indefinite trend.
