Business

Consumer confidence drops to lowest level in three years

16:44 pm on 2 November 2018

Consumer confidence is at its lowest level in three years.

Photo: RNZ / Rebekah Parsons-King

The ANZ-Roy Morgan consumer confidence index fell three points last month to below its historical average.

The future conditions index was down five points to the lowest level since 2015.

The chief economist at ANZ, Sharon Zollner, said the pessimism about the future has spread from being about the broader economy to individuals' future financial position.

But consumers were still relatively confident about current conditions, with a net 11 percent feeling better off than they did a year ago.

That's reflected in an increase in the proportion of consumers who thought it was a good time to buy a major household item.