ID :
34013
Fri, 12/05/2008 - 09:37
Auther :

Vietnam rates best in region for consumer confidence levels

HCM City (VNA) - A consumer confidence index for the Asia-Pacific region
calculated by the US Company MasterCard, said Vietnam is the most
optimistic among the 14 markets surveyed.

However, the poll also showed that Vietnamese consumers are less optimistic
for the six-month period ahead (January to June 2009) when compared to the
previous six months.

The index covers Vietnam , mainland China , Hong Kong , Taiwan , the
Republic of Korea , Indonesia , Malaysia , the Philippines , Thailand
, India , Singapore , Australia , Japan and New Zealand .

The survey was conducted from September 1 to 29, 2008 and involved 6,019
consumers across key Asia-Pacific markets. Released twice a year, the index
measures consumer confidence on prevailing expectations in the market.

A score of "Zero" is considered the most pessimistic level, 100 as the most
optimistic and 50, the neutral.

Out of the four markets found to be "optimistic", Vietnam has come out on
top of China , India and Singapore . Moreover, Vietnam , whose
overall score is 88.1, is the only market that increased its confidence
level from six months ago.

Consumers in Vietnam continued to be upbeat about employment (91.2), the
economy (88.2), regular income (94.7), the stock market (79.4) and quality
of life (86.9).

Despite the strong optimistic attitude reflected in the latest survey,
Vietnam 's score is lower than that of a year ago, when it was 94.3.
Indeed, the current score is the country's second lowest since its 2003
incorporation into the index.

Average consumer confidence across the region is 47.4 - a number
significantly lower than the score six months ago (55.0) and a year ago
(67.3). However, it is higher than the average of 32.2 during the 1997-98
Asian financial crisis.

Overall, consumer confidence has fallen across the indicators that make up
the index compared to six months ago: employment (41.2 vs. 54.2): the
economy (42.1 vs. 51.8); quality of life (44.0 vs. 48.2 ); the stock market
(45.5 vs. 53.4); and regular income (64.3 vs. 72.2).-Enditem

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