Italy: Economic sentiment drops to over one-year low in December
Latest reading: Economic sentiment fell to 98.2 in December from November’s 99.3. December’s result marked the weakest sentiment since November 2023. As a result, the index remained below the long-term average of 100, pointing to a muted near-term outlook for the economy.
The headline print reflected deteriorating sentiment in the industrial sector and among consumers. Additionally, confidence in the construction and retail sectors waned in December. That said, confidence in the services sector improved in the surveyed month.
Considering indicators that are not used to calculate the index, employment expectations were healthier, while the economic uncertainty index decreased in December.