New Zealand

Consumer confidence remains high

10:52 am on 22 September 2014

The latest survey has found consumer confidence has eased again, but remains high.

The Westpac-McDermott Miller quarterly Consumer Confidence Index fell 5 points to 116 point 7 in the September quarter.

A reading above 100 indicates optimism.

Westpac economists said rising interest rates might be starting to be felt by households, while slowing economic growth may also be weighing on their minds.

The survey, taken between 1 September and 12 September, polled 1555 people, and has a margin of error of 2.5 percent.

Near term economic optimism fell from a net 31 percent to 18 percent, while longer term economic optimism edged down, from 30 percent to 29 percent.

Households are also more downbeat about their own financial situation. A net 0.1 percent said their finances have deteriorated in the past year, and few people thought their finances would improve in the coming year.

Fewer respondents also felt it was a good time to buy a major household item, a net 26 percent, while more people said they would use a $10,000 cash windfall to repay debt.

The survey was conducted in early June.