AMSTERDAM (Reuters) – The coronavirus pandemic prompted the largest fall on record in Dutch consumer confidence in April, the national statistics office said on Wednesday, driven by concerns about personal finances and the overall state of the economy.
Dutch seasonally adjusted consumer confidence fell to minus 22 points in April from minus 2 points in March, Statistics Netherlands (CBS) said.
“This represents the steepest fall ever, but not the lowest point on record,” a statement said. “Perceptions about the economy and willingness to make purchases fell sharply.”
The minus 22 reading for April compares to an average of minus 5 over the past 20 years and a record low of minus 41 in March 2013, at the tail end of the 2008 financial crisis.
(Reporting by Anthony Deutsch; Editing by Edwina Gibbs)
