German consumer sentiment fell to -30.6 heading into October from a revised -26.8 in September, below the -27.4 average forecast in a Reuters poll, as households’ income outlook weakened and most expected high energy prices to reduce their purchasing power, the survey found.
The income-expectations sub-index dropped 16.7 points to -15.0, its lowest reading since April 2026. The willingness-to-save measure rose six points to 21.5, its highest since the 2008 financial crisis, with the increase especially pronounced among wealthier households; willingness to buy edged down one point to -10.8.
Economic expectations rose 0.5 point to -3.4 for a fifth consecutive increase; the report cited Germany’s better-than-expected economic performance in the first half of 2026. The survey drew on around 2,000 interviews conducted September 3–14. The index is designed to forecast consumer behavior in the following month, with readings below zero indicating a year-on-year decline in private consumption.
