Consumer Sentiment Inches Up From Midmonth But Remains Near Historic LowsJohn Carney 25 Apr 2025
Consumer sentiment improved slightly in late April from earlier in the month but remained deeply depressed, weighed down by widespread concerns over inflation, tariffs, and a historic drop in confidence among Democrats.
The University of Michigan’s final reading of its Consumer Sentiment Index rose to 52.2 in April, up from a preliminary estimate of 50.8 but down from 57.0 in March. It marked the fourth consecutive monthly decline and the lowest final reading since July 2022.
The Expectations Index, which measures sentiment about the economy in the months ahead, fell to 47.3 in April, down from 52.6 in March. The steep three-month decline—more than 32 percent since January—was the sharpest drop in expectations since the lead-up to the 1990 recession.
The overall slide in sentiment was driven in large part by a plunge in confidence among Democrats, whose index reading fell to 34.4, the lowest level ever recorded for that group in the survey’s decades-long history. Sentiment among Independents also declined sharply to 46.2. Republican sentiment, by contrast, rose to 90.2, the highest since the end of Donald Trump’s previous term in office.
The collapse in Democratic sentiment extended across both present conditions and expectations for the future. The Expectations Index for Democrats fell to 22.7, a level rarely seen for any political group in past surveys, and the Current Conditions Index dropped to 52.6.
Survey Director Joanne Hsu said consumers reported “intensifying unease” about the economy, pointing in particular to the risks posed by trade policy and the potential for renewed inflation.
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https://www.breitbart.com/economy/2025/04/25/consumer-sentiment-inches-up-from-midmonth-but-remains-near-historic-lows/
