In the secondary quarter of this year, the consumer confidence index kept the steady trend. In this June, the index was 94.6 points, up by 0.2 points over this March.

    The economic optimism index reflecting the consumer¡¯s opinion toward the economic outlook declined to some extent. In this June, it was 81.4 points, down by 3.7 points over this March. The above fact was due to the attention to uncertain factors the consumers paid during the developing process of economy and due to the perplexity brought by these uncertain factors. In this June, the surveyed consumers thinking of ¡°unclear¡± about the trend of future economy took up 36%, up by 7 percentage points over this March; those holding the view that the whole economy would become prosperous accounted for 52% dropping from 55% in this March.

    Influenced by the two factors above-mentioned, the consumer expectation index descended to 95.1 points from 95.4 points in this March, still being on the high position.

    Contrary to slight decline of consumer expectation index, the satisfaction index reflecting consumer¡¯s remark on the present economic situation went up to 93.8 points in this June from 92.9 points in this March. The rise of this index was caused by the perception that consumers considered the income would ascend. In this June, the consumers who reckoned that their income or family income would go up or keep unchanged accounted for 72%, up by 3 percentage points over this March; those with the opinion that the income was less than before took up 20% declining from 22% in this March.

    In this June, the consumers who thought the present time was the suitable chance to buy commercial houses and autos accounted for 18% and 13%, down by 6 and 4 percentage points over this March respectively. Those with the view that it was suitable chance to buy durable consumer goods stayed on the level of 70%, roughly keeping the same level with the first quarter of this year.