Consumer sentiment in the United States continued to decline in April, according to a preliminary report published by the University of Michigan on Friday. The index slumped from 57.0 in March to 50.8 in April, falling short of forecasts.
At the same time, the current economic conditions index went down from 63.8 in March to 56.5 in the present month, while the index of consumer expectations dropped from 52.6 in the previous month to 46.2 in April.
"Consumer sentiment fell for the fourth straight month, plunging 11% from March. This decline was, like the last month’s, pervasive and unanimous across age, income, education, geographic region, and political affiliation. Sentiment has now lost more than 30% since December 2024 amid growing worries about trade war developments that have oscillated over the course of the year," Surveys of Consumers Director Joanne Hsu wrote in the report.
