US Consumer Confidence January 2027
January 26, 2027 @ 10:00 am - 11:00 am
US Consumer Confidence January 2027
Next US Consumer Confidence: Tuesday, at 10:00 am ET (3:00 pm London).
Date to be confirmed by the publisher; this is the scheduled date.
- Consensus
- Not yet published
- Prior
- 88.7
- Actual
- Pending
Full schedule and background: US Consumer Confidence.
Updated
The US Consumer Confidence Index for January 2027 is scheduled for release on Tuesday, January 26, 2027 at 10:00 am ET (3:00 pm London) by the Conference Board, a private non-profit research organisation. The report covers consumer attitudes gathered during the first half of January 2027. Full schedule and background: US Consumer Confidence.
What is the Consumer Confidence Index?
The Consumer Confidence Index is a monthly survey-based measure of how optimistic or pessimistic US households feel about the economy. The Conference Board surveys around 3,000 households each month, asking about current business and labour market conditions and expectations for income, business conditions and jobs over the next six months. The headline figure is an index, not a percentage, benchmarked so that 1985 equals 100.
The index splits into two sub-components: the Present Situation Index, which reflects how people see things right now, and the Expectations Index, which captures views on the near future. A reading above 100 generally signals optimism relative to the 1985 base period, while a sustained drop below 80 has historically coincided with recessions.
Investors, central bankers and retailers watch the index because consumer spending drives roughly two-thirds of US economic output. A sharp change in confidence can be an early signal of shifts in spending on cars, holidays and big-ticket items, well before that shows up in hard data such as retail sales.
The index is a useful complement to hard economic data such as employment and retail sales figures, which arrive with a lag and get revised. Because the confidence survey asks people directly how they feel, it can shift quickly in response to news events such as changes in petrol prices, stock market swings, government policy announcements or shifts in the labour market, sometimes before those changes are visible in official output data.
Outside the US, the report matters for a global audience too. A sharp fall in American household confidence can signal weaker demand for imported goods from Europe and Asia, affecting exporters in Germany, Japan and elsewhere. It can also move the dollar, which in turn affects the pound and euro exchange rates that UK and eurozone households and businesses rely on for everything from holiday money to import costs.
When is the January 2027 Consumer Confidence Index released?
The report is expected on January 26, 2027 at 10:00 am ET (3:00 pm London), published by the Conference Board on its website. The Conference Board has not yet confirmed this exact date at the time of writing: it typically releases the Consumer Confidence Index on the last Tuesday of each month, so the January date could shift slightly if the schedule changes.
What is the consensus forecast?
A consensus forecast for the January 2027 release has not yet been published. Economists’ estimates, typically compiled by Reuters or Dow Jones, tend to appear only in the days immediately before the release.
The most recent confirmed reading available at the time of writing comes from the Conference Board’s November 2025 report, when the index fell to 88.7, a drop of 6.8 points from the prior month, according to CNBC. Readers should check the Conference Board’s site directly for the prior month’s figure closer to the January 2027 release date, since more recent prints will have been published between now and then.
| Measure | Prior (most recent confirmed) | Consensus |
|---|---|---|
| Headline Consumer Confidence Index | 88.7 (November 2025) | Not yet published |
| Present Situation Index | Not separately confirmed here | Not yet published |
| Expectations Index | Not separately confirmed here | Not yet published |
What the result could mean
| Scenario | Likely market read | What it means in plain English |
|---|---|---|
| Above consensus | Seen as a sign households feel more secure, which can support equities and the dollar if it points to resilient spending | People feel better about jobs and prices, and may be more willing to spend or borrow |
| In line with consensus | Limited market reaction, since the result confirms what traders already priced in | Confidence is tracking roughly as expected, no major change in the outlook |
| Below consensus | Can unsettle risk assets and weigh on the dollar if it raises concern about a slowdown in consumer spending | Households are more worried about jobs, bills or the wider economy than expected |
These are possibilities raised by market commentary, not predictions. The actual reaction will depend on what the Federal Reserve is focused on at the time and on other data released the same week.
Why does this release matter right now?
Consumer confidence has been volatile through 2025 and 2026, with readings swinging on concerns over inflation, tariffs and the labour market, as reported by Axios and Fox Business. The Federal Reserve watches measures like this alongside jobs and inflation data when weighing interest rate decisions, since weakening confidence can foreshadow softer consumer spending. A notable shift in the January 2027 print, in either direction, would feed into the debate over how resilient US households remain heading into the new year.
It is worth noting how volatile this series has been recently. Through late 2025 and into 2026, the index swung sharply, including a drop to 81.9 in September, described at the time as its lowest level since April 2014, and a further slide to 88.7 in November, according to Conference Board data reported by CNBC and Axios. Analysts at the time pointed to persistent concerns over inflation, tariffs and the labour market as the main drivers. Whether that pattern of weakness has continued, stabilised or reversed by January 2027 will be one of the key questions the new release answers.
What It Means for Your Money
- Mortgages and borrowing rates: if confidence data points to a weakening economy, markets sometimes price in a greater chance of future Federal Reserve rate cuts, which can feed through to lower US mortgage and loan rates over time.
- Savings: changes in expected Fed policy affect what banks pay on savings accounts and certificates of deposit, so a weak confidence reading can eventually mean lower returns on cash savings.
- Jobs and wages: the survey’s labour market questions are watched closely because they can hint at whether households expect hiring to slow, which matters for anyone negotiating pay or job security.
- Prices: the report also asks households about their inflation expectations, which can influence how businesses set prices and wages.
- Investments, pensions and currencies: US consumer spending drives a large share of global corporate earnings, so a surprise in either direction can move US and international stock markets, pension fund valuations, and the dollar against the pound and euro.
Related events
- Previous reading: US Consumer Confidence, December 2026
- University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index, a separate but related measure of household sentiment
- US retail sales data, which tests whether confidence trends are showing up in actual spending
Frequently Asked Questions
What time is the January 2027 Consumer Confidence Index released?
It is scheduled for 10:00 am ET, which is 3:00 pm in London, on January 26, 2027.
How do I read the Consumer Confidence Index?
A higher number means households feel more positive about current conditions and the near-term outlook; a lower number signals growing pessimism, with readings benchmarked to 100 in 1985.
Does this report move interest rates directly?
No single data release sets interest rates. The Federal Reserve weighs consumer confidence alongside inflation, jobs and spending data when deciding on rate moves.
Where can I find the official release?
The Conference Board publishes the full report, including sub-indices, on its own website on release day.
When is the next Consumer Confidence release after January 2027?
The Conference Board typically publishes this index monthly, usually on the last Tuesday of each month, so the next release would follow in February 2027.