Consumer Confi dence Survey:
March 2012 (Round 8)*
This article presents the salient findings of the
Consumer Confidence Survey conducted in March 2012,
the 8th round in the series. It gives an assessment of the
consumer sentiments of the respondents based on their
perceptions of the general economic conditions and their
own financial situation. The assessments are analysed in
two parts, viz., current situation as compared with a year
ago and expectations for a year ahead.
The survey indicates that, households’ perception
about current economic conditions and expectation for next
one year has decreased in terms of net response; however,
more than half of the respondents continue to feel that the
current economic conditions and future prospects are
favourable. Majority of respondents perceived that
household circumstances have become better, though the
proportion of respondents reporting a worsening of current
household circumstances has increased as compared with
the previous round. More than half of the respondents
reported an increase in income, but this proportion has been
declining over the last four rounds. A similar decreasing
trend is also observed in case of expectation of increased
income in the next year; this may have also affected further
spending intentions.
I. Introduction
The change in consumer confidence has the
potential to affect real economic activities through the
changes in business sentiments. The Reserve Bank has
been conducting a Quarterly Consumer Confidence
Survey for obtaining the qualitative information, since
June 2010. The 8th round of the survey was conducted
in March 2012.
II. Sampling Design
The survey covers six metropolitan cities, viz.,
Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai and New Delhi. Each city is divided into three major areas
and each major area is further divided into three subareas.
From each sub-area, about 100 respondents are
selected randomly. For each round of survey 5,400
respondents are selected (900 respondents from each
city). For the current round, out of the total 5,400 survey
schedules, 5,352 schedules were found to be suitable
for further analysis.
III. Structure of the Survey Questionnaire
The survey schedule consists of qualitative questions
pertaining to impression about economic conditions,
views on household circumstances, perceptions on
price level, perception on employment prospects,
developments in real estate prices and views on growth
potential of the Indian economy.
IV. Survey Results: Key Highlights
IV.1 Economic Conditions
-
About 51 per cent of the respondents reported
economic conditions to be favourable as compared
with a year ago and about 59 per cent reported
that the economic conditions would be favourable
in the next one year (Chart 1).
-
There is a shift in responses from ‘favourable’ to
‘no change’ (neutral). This shift has led to a fall in
the net response on economic conditions
(Chart 2).
IV.2 Household Circumstances
-
Though majority of the respondents perceived
that household circumstances have become better
off, the proportion of respondents reporting a
worsening of current household circumstances
has increased (Chart 3).
-
As a result, net response on household
circumstances declined to some extent (Chart 4).
-
Among the respondents who perceived change
(better-off/worse-off) in household circumstances
as compared with one year ago, around 85 per cent
reported ‘salary and business income’, as a main
factor for change in household circumstances
(Chart 5). Other important factors leading to
change in household circumstances are ‘price
level’, ‘interest and dividend income’, ‘value of
assets’ and ‘income from sales of real estate’.
IV.3 Income
-
More than half of the respondents reported an
increase in current as well as future income;
however, this proportion has gradually declined
over the last four rounds (Chart 6).
-
About one-third of the respondents felt that their
income would remain the same in next one year.
The proportion of such responses has been
increasing in the last four quarters.
-
The net response on current and future income
has declined marginally in March 2012 as
compared with December 2011 (Chart 7).
IV.4 Consumer Spending
-
There is a noticeable drop in the share of
respondents who intend to increase spending in the next year. However, there is a commensurate
increase in share of respondents with intention
of maintaining the same level of spending in the
next year.
-
Net response on the perceptions on current
spending as compared with a year ago has
increased marginally (Chart 9). However, net
response on future spending has been declining
over the quarters.
-
Among the respondents who perceived change
(increase/decrease) in their spending as compared with a year ago, around 69 per cent reported ‘cost
of consumer goods’, as a main factor for spending
changes (Chart 10). Other important factors of
changes in spending are ‘cost of services’, ‘income’
and ‘expenditure on real estate’.
IV.5 Price Level
-
Over 85 per cent of the respondents felt that prices
would continue to increase during the next year.
The proportion of respondents perceiving and
expecting an increase in price level for current and future periods has declined in March 2012 as
compared with December 2011. (Chart 11).
-
As the negative perceptions on the current and
future price levels have declined, the net responses
on price levels have improved (Chart 12).
IV.6 Perceptions on other Macroeconomic
Indicators
IV.6.1 Interest Rates
-
About 80 per cent of the respondents reported
that interest rates were high from borrowers’ point of view. About 16 per cent of respondents felt the
rate is appropriate (Chart 13).
-
From depositors’ point of view, about 77 per cent
of depositors felt the rate is low. About 20 per cent
of the respondents were of the view that the
current interest rates are appropriate (Chart 13) .
IV.6.2 Employment Conditions
-
The proportion of respondents reporting ‘not
particularly worried’ on future employment
prospects has declined to 43.6 per cent in March 2012 as compared with over 50 per cent in
December 2011 (Chart 14).
-
However, the share of respondents worried about
employment prospects increased to 23.8 per cent
from 16.0 per cent in the previous round. As a
result, net response decreased significantly in the
current round (Chart 15).
-
Among the employed respondents, about
44 per cent reported ‘not particularly worried’
(Chart 16).
IV.6.3 Future Developments in Real Estate
Prices
- The proportion of respondents expecting a rise in
future real estate prices has declined from 83.6
per cent in December 2011 to 77.9 per cent in
March 2012 (Chart 17).
IV.6.4 Growth Potential of the Economy
- Majority of respondents perceived that Indian
economy has potential to grow above the current
level in the long run (Chart 18).
IV.7 Current Situation Index and Future
Expectations Index
-
Current Situation Index (CSI), constructed
based on economic conditions, household
circumstances, income, spending and price
level, moved in a narrow band of 114-116 during
the last four quarters (Chart 19).
-
Overall Current Situation Index has dropped
marginally to 114.6, mainly due to fall
in the indicators pertaining to economic conditions, household circumstances and income
perceptions.
-
The Future Expectations Index based on economic
conditions, income, spending, price level and
future employment prospects, has declined visibly
from 120.2 in December 2011 to 115.5 in March
2012 (Chart 20).
-
Overall Future Expectations Index has dropped
mainly due to fall in the indicators pertaining to
economic conditions, future employment
prospects and s pending.
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