Euro Zone: Consumer Confidence Slips to Near 2-1/2-Year Low.

Euro Area consumer confidence plunged by 4 points from a month earlier to -16.3 in March 2026, the lowest since October 2023, worse than forecasts of -14.4, according to flash estimates. The drop reflects growing concerns over the economic outlook, with Middle East tensions pushing energy prices higher and adding to inflationary pressures. In the broader European Union, consumer sentiment plummeted by 3.4 points to -15.2. Confidence in both the eurozone and the EU remains below their long-term averages.