Eurozone consumers slash inflation expectations: ECB survey

EUROZONE consumers have slashed their inflation expectations, a European Central Bank survey showed on Tuesday (Jan 16), in comforting news for the ECB’s efforts to contain prices.

The Consumer Expectations Survey (CES) is used by policymakers to gauge whether households have faith in the ECB’s ability to hit its 2 per cent inflation goal, which may affect their wage demands and attitude towards saving and spending.

The latest round of the poll, carried out in November, showed the median household expected prices to grow by 3.2 per cent in the following 12 months, down from 4 per cent a month earlier.

Expectations for inflation three years ahead also came down: to 2.2 per cent from 2.5 per cent.

This is likely to mirror a sharp fall in inflation in November as well as a contraction in lending as a result of the ECB’s steep increases in interest rates. REUTERS