Consumer sentiment remains steady after year of declining outlook

Past year has seen a broadly based downgrade of Irish consumer thinking in relation to economic conditions and their own financial circumstances

Findings from the Credit Union Consumer Survey suggest that 2025 has been a worrisome year for Irish consumers, and those worries, for a range of reasons, continue to weigh on sentiment.

Irish consumer sentiment remained steady at a fairly subdued level in December, with a slight easing in cost-of-living concerns and continued encouraging news on Irish economic growth offsetting increased negativity about the jobs market.

The latest Credit Union Consumer Sentiment Survey found that while there was no significant monthly change in consumer sentiment, the December 2025 reading was markedly lower than that recorded twelve months earlier.