UK Consumer confidence down two points in September to -19

Will the widely expected November tax rises push confidence lower?

London, September 19th, 2025 - GfK's long-running Consumer Confidence Index decreased by two points to -19 in September. All measures were down in comparison to last month's announcement. These are the current findings of the GfK Consumer Confidence Barometer (CCB) powered by NIM. The CCB has been published jointly by GfK and the Nuremberg Institute for Market Decisions (NIM), the founder of GfK, since October 2023.

Neil Bellamy, Consumer Insights Director at GfK, an NIQ Company, says: "There's an autumnal chill in the air this month, with all five measures of consumer confidence down and the Overall Index Score for September slipping two points from -17 to -19. The August 7th decrease in interest rates does not appear to have provided any obvious boost to the financial mood of consumers or drawn attention away from day-to-day cost issues. Both personal finance measures - past and future - are lower, while our major purchases measure has dropped three points to -16. Even more striking is an eight-point fall in saving intentions. Looking at the economy, sentiment is sliding sharply: in June 2024 our forward-looking measure stood at -11, but just 15 months later it has slumped to -32. Perceptions of the past year remain weak too, down three from last month to -45. With tax rises expected in the November budget, the risk is that confidence inevitably falls, just like the autumn leaves."

GfK Consumer Confidence Barometer powered by NIM - UK Measures - September 2025
The Overall Index Score decreased by two points to -19 in September. All measures were down in comparison to last month's announcement.

Personal Financial Situation
The index measuring changes in personal finances during the last year is down three points at -7; this is two points better than September 2024.

The forecast for personal finances over the next 12 months is down one point at +4; this is seven points better than this time last year.

General Economic Situation
The measure for the general economic situation of the country during the last 12 months is down three points to -45; this is eight points worse than in September 2024.

Expectations for the general economic situation over the next 12 months have decreased two points to -32; this is five points worse than September 2024.

Major Purchase Index
The Major Purchase Index is down three points at -16; this is seven points better than this month last year.

Savings Index
The Savings Index has fallen eight points to +22 in September; this is one point lower than this time last year.

About the survey

Press Contact
For further details or an interview, please contact Greenfields Communications:

• The data in the GfK Consumer Confidence Barometer (CCB), powered by NIM, is collected by GfK. The CCB has been published jointly by GfK and the Nuremberg Institute for Market Decisions (NIM), the founder of GfK, since October 2023.
• This month's survey was conducted among a sample of 2,003 individuals aged 16+ in the UK.
• Quotas are imposed on age, sex, region, and social class to ensure the final sample is representative of the UK population.
• Interviewing was conducted between September 1st and September 11th 2025.
• The figures in the GfK CCB powered by NIM have an estimated margin of error of +/-2%.
• The Overall Index Score is calculated using underlying data that runs to two decimal points.
• Press release dates for 2025 are: October 24th; November 21st; December 19th. The first three press release dates in 2026 are: January 23rd; February 27th; March 27th.
• Any published material must include a reference to the GfK Consumer Confidence Barometer, e.g. 'Source: GfK Consumer Confidence Barometer powered by NIM'.
• This study has been running since 1974. Back data is available from 2006.
• The table below is an overview of the questions asked to obtain the individual index measures:

About the GfK Consumer Confidence Barometer powered by NIM

There is no other consumer research project with the longevity, rigor, and reliability of GfK's Consumer Confidence Barometer (CCB). Each month since January 1974, it has provided a snapshot of how UK consumers feel about the crucial economic topics today and their outlook for the next 12 months. It has provided insight into the UK's thinking through boom and bust, the Brexit vote, and most recently the coronavirus pandemic. The CCB data collected by GfK has been published jointly with the Nuremberg Institute for Market Decisions (NIM) since October 2023. NIM is the founder of GfK.

About NIQ

NielsenIQ (NIQ) is a leading consumer intelligence company, delivering the most complete understanding of consumer buying behavior and revealing new pathways to growth. NIQ combined with GfK in 2023, bringing together two industry leaders with unparalleled global reach. Our global reach spans over 90 countries, covering approximately 85% of the world's population and more than $7.2 trillion in global consumer spend. With a holistic retail read and the most comprehensive consumer insights-delivered with advanced analytics through state-of-the-art platforms-NIQ delivers the Full View™.

For more information, please visit https://www.niq.com

About GfK - a NielsenIQ company

For over 90 years, we have earned the trust of our clients around the world by solving critical questions in their decision-making process. We fuel their growth by providing a complete understanding of their consumers' buying behavior, and the dynamics impacting their markets, brands and media trends. In 2023, GfK combined with NIQ, bringing together two industry leaders with unparalleled global reach. With a holistic retail read and the most comprehensive consumer insights - delivered with advanced analytics through state-of-the-art platforms - GfK drives "Growth from Knowledge". For more information, visit nielseniq.com

About NIM

The Nuremberg Institute for Market Decisions (NIM) is a non-profit research institute at the interface of academia and practice. NIM examines how consumer decisions change due to new technology, societal trends or the application of behavioral science, and what the resulting micro- and macroeconomic impacts are for the market and society as a whole. A better understanding of consumer decisions and their impacts helps society, businesses, politics, and consumers make better decisions with regard to "prosperity for all" in the sense of the social-ecological market system. The Nuremberg Institute for Market Decisions is the founder of GfK. For more information, visit https://www.nim.org/en and LinkedIn.

Forward-Looking Statements Disclaimer

This press release includes forward-looking statements that reflect NIQ's current expectations and projections about future market trends and consumer behavior. These statements are based on available information and reasonable assumptions but are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ. NIQ does not undertake to update these statements, except as required by law.

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Marketing, GfK
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