Global consumer confidence edges up in July as US sentiment slips

Global consumer confidence held above the neutral threshold in July 2026, with emerging markets and parts of Europe driving momentum even as sentiment in the United States slipped on an annual basis.

The latest Global Consumer Confidence Index published by Ipsos covering 30 countries stood at 49.0 this month, while the Legacy 20 measure, which tracks the 20 countries surveyed continuously since 2010, registered 47.4.

The United States posted an overall index score of 51.0, putting it above the neutral midpoint and ahead of several major developed-market peers including Canada (49.4), Great Britain (46.2), Germany (42.3), France (41.6), and Japan (39.7).

On a monthly basis, American consumer confidence edged up 1.9 points from June 2026. However, on a year-over-year basis, the US recorded a significant decline of 2.8 points compared to July 2025; one of the more notable annual drops among developed markets tracked in the survey. That annual softening places the US alongside Great Britain (down 5.8 points year over year) and Germany (down 7.1 points) as developed economies where consumers are feeling meaningfully less confident than they were a year ago.

Canada scored 49.4 on the overall index in July 2026, fractionally above the Global Legacy 20 average of 47.4 and roughly in line with the North America regional average of 50.2 (based on legacy country data). Canadian confidence was essentially flat month over month, with a 0.5-point gain from June 2026, and showed a modest year-over-year improvement of 1.4 points compared to July 2025 — a more stable trajectory than the US decline over the same period.

The sub-index data from the Legacy 20 countries adds context. The Jobs Index stood at 60.0 in July 2026, the highest of the five sub-measures tracked, while the Current Index, which reflects consumers' assessment of present economic conditions, was significantly lower at 36.5. The gap between jobs optimism and current economic conditions has been a persistent feature of post-pandemic confidence data globally, and the July 2026 readings suggest it remains wide for advisors trying to calibrate client sentiment.

Where confidence is rising and falling

The July 2026 data reveals a clear divide between emerging and developed market confidence. India remains the highest-scoring country in the survey at 67.1, followed by Sweden (58.6), Malaysia (57.0), and Singapore (54.1). On the other end, Japan (39.7), France (41.6), Argentina (41.8), Chile (42.0), and Germany (42.3) sit at the bottom of the 30-country ranking.

Month-over-month, the largest gains came from Argentina (+4.4 points), Singapore (+3.6), India (+3.2), and Israel (+3.1). Colombia (down 2.6 points) and South Korea (down 2.2 points) recorded the most significant monthly declines.

Over the past 12 months, the year-over-year shifts are more striking. Hungary led all countries with a gain of 15.4 points compared to July 2025, followed by Thailand (+7.9) and Peru (+6.1). At the other end, Indonesia fell 10.1 points year over year — the sharpest annual decline in the survey — while Germany dropped 7.1 points and Great Britain fell 5.8 points, according to the Ipsos July 2026 data.

The broader pattern across the 17-year trend data in the report is notable: global confidence collapsed sharply at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020 but has largely recovered since, with the jobs outlook remaining consistently the strongest sub-index measure across the legacy country sample.

The investment and current condition indices remain more subdued, suggesting consumers are employed but cautious about spending and investment.