Updated: 03-Apr-26 10:35 ET
Highlights
- The Conference Board's Consumer Confidence Index increased to 91.8 in March (Briefing.com consensus: 88.0) from 91.2 in February.
- In the same period a year ago, the index stood at 93.9.
- The Present Situation Index increased to 123.3 from 118.7.
- The Expectations Index dipped to 70.9 from 72.6. That is the fourteenth straight reading below 80, which is a level that typically signals recession ahead.
- The key takeaway from the report is that the headline numbers don't convey any abject concern among consumers about the Iran war, yet that concern showed up in higher 12-month inflation expectations, which jumped to 6.2% from 5.5% in February, marking the highest level since August 2025.
| Category | MAR | FEB | JAN | DEC | NOV |
| Conference Board | 91.8 | 91.0 | 89.0 | 94.2 | 92.9 |
| Expectations | 70.9 | 72.6 | 67.2 | 74.6 | 70.7 |
| Present Situation | 123.3 | 118.7 | 121.8 | 123.6 | 126.3 |
| Employment ('plentiful' less 'hard to get') | 5.8 | 5.7 | 6.8 | 8.4 | 8.1 |
| 1 yr inflation expectations | 6.2% | 5.5% | 5.6% | 5.4% | 5.8% |
