LSEG/Ipsos consumer sentiment drops to 45.2, lowest since 2011
The October reading fell 5.3 points in a month and 7.7 points in a year, with the Current and Investment sub-indices posting the steepest declines.
- The LSEG/Ipsos index fell to 45.2 in October, down 5.3 points from September and 7.7 points from a year earlier.
- Michigan's preliminary October gauge was 46.3, down 1.8 points from September's 48.1 (our calculation), a smaller fall than Ipsos shows.
- The Federal Open Market Committee meets Oct. 27-28, and the BEA publishes advance third-quarter GDP on Oct. 29.
LSEG/Ipsos Primary Consumer Sentiment Index, points. Source: Ipsos, Oct. 19, 2026. Oct. 2025 and Sept. 2026 values are our calculation from the reported changes.
The LSEG/Ipsos Primary Consumer Sentiment Index for October 2026 stands at 45.2, its lowest reading since October 2011, Ipsos said on Oct. 19 after surveying 1,000 Americans aged 18-74 from Sept. 25 to Oct. 1.
Every sub-index of the Ipsos gauge declined in October
All four sub-indices fell, according to Ipsos. The Current Index reads at 32.9, down 7.6 points from September and 11.0 points below its year-earlier reading of 43.9.
The Investment Index fell 7.9 points to 36.0, and the Expectations Index fell 3.5 points to 53.9. The Jobs Index slipped 2.5 points to 61.0.
Against October 2025, Investment is 10.5 points lower (46.5 a year earlier) and Jobs is 2.6 points lower (63.6). Expectations is 5.5 points lower (59.4).
A second consumer gauge also weakened, by less
The University of Michigan's preliminary October index was 46.3 against 47.8 expected, investinglive reported on Oct. 9. The final September reading was 48.1.
That is a 1.8-point decline (our calculation: 46.3 - 48.1), against a 5.3-point drop in the Ipsos index. The two indexes come from different surveys, so the point changes are not directly comparable.
The Conference Board's Consumer Confidence Index fell 6.7 points to 81.9 in September, with its Expectations Index at 63.6, according to the Conference Board.
Dana M. Peterson of the Conference Board said on Sept. 29 that the September decline came "following two prior months of softening."
Her comment places the Ipsos October reading beside a weakening trend that two other surveys also show.
Report in numbers
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| LSEG/Ipsos Primary Consumer Sentiment Index | 45.2 | October 2026 | Ipsos |
| Current Index | 32.9 | October 2026 | Ipsos |
| Expectations Index | 53.9 | October 2026 | Ipsos |
| Investment Index | 36.0 | October 2026 | Ipsos |
| Jobs Index | 61.0 | October 2026 | Ipsos |
| University of Michigan sentiment, preliminary | 46.3 | October 2026 | investinglive |
| Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index | 81.9 | September 2026 | Conference Board |
Measured by Ipsos, the University of Michigan and the Conference Board. The chart's September 2026 (50.5) and October 2025 (52.9) values are our calculation: 45.2 + 5.3 and 45.2 + 7.7.
Three dated releases will test the weakening trend
- Oct. 27: the Conference Board publishes October consumer confidence at 10 a.m. ET.
- Oct. 27-28: the Federal Open Market Committee meets, according to the Fed calendar.
- Oct. 29: the Bureau of Economic Analysis releases advance third-quarter GDP and September personal income.
The release names no cause for the decline
Ipsos does not say what drove the fall, and its release gives no country breakdown. Ipsos separately listed a Cost of Living Monitor covering 33 countries on Oct. 22, which this summary does not use.
How we reported this: We opened the Ipsos release, the Conference Board page and the Fed and BEA calendars. Michigan rests on one secondary report. Values 50.5, 52.9 and 1.8 are our calculation: 45.2 + 5.3, 45.2 + 7.7, 48.1 - 46.3.
Source: www.ipsos.com