January 2026 saw an increase in consumer confidence

• Overall index rose (+0.8)
• Household finance metrics for the past 30 days (+2.3) and next 12 months (+4.5) jumped
• Retrospective (+0.3) and forward-looking (+0.2) home value measures saw small positive movements
• All other measures were mixtures of positive and negative movements

Headline consumer confidence rose in January 2026, according to the latest data from YouGov and the Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr). The overall index increased by +0.8 points from 107.1 to 107.9.

YouGov collects consumer confidence data every day, conducting over 6,000 interviews a month. Respondents answer questions about household finances, property prices, job security and business activity, capturing their views on the past 30 days and on their forecast for the coming 12 months.

Our data shows that household finance measures saw the largest improvement. Retrospective measures climbed from 85.6 to 87.9 (+2.3), while outlook rose from 87.4 to 91.9 (+4.5). Welcome developments for a month often characterised by post-Christmas belt-tightening, but these movements should be placed in the context of December’s declines: measures for the past 30 days decreased by -6.1 in December 2025, and measures for the next 12 months declined by -4.1 over the same period.

Perceptions of house prices among homeowners also saw positive movements, albeit small ones. Scores for the past 30 days moved from 113.3 to 131.6 (+0.3), and outlook saw a comparable change from 131.5 to 131.7 (+0.2). Still, both measures remain positive overall.

Other metrics painted a more mixed picture. Workers were more likely to report improved feelings about their short-term job security, with measures for the past 30 days increasing by a point from 92.7 to 93.7, but outlook was less upbeat, dipping slightly from 116.6 to 116.3 (-0.3).

Employees were also more likely to report diminished business activity, with retrospective scores deteriorating from 109.2 to 107.2 (-2.0). Outlook, however, did see some improvement, with measures rising from 120.2 to 120.6 (+0.4).

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