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Consumer Sentiment
How households feel about the economy, by survey.
44.8
Index 1966:Q1=100 · latest, May 2026
vs prior month▼ 10.0%
vs year ago▼ 14.2%
| Year | Consumer Sentiment |
|---|---|
| 1978 | 66.1 |
| 1979 | 61.0 |
| 1980 | 64.5 |
| 1981 | 64.3 |
| 1982 | 71.9 |
| 1983 | 94.2 |
| 1984 | 92.9 |
| 1985 | 93.9 |
| 1986 | 89.1 |
| 1987 | 86.8 |
| 1988 | 91.9 |
| 1989 | 90.5 |
| 1990 | 65.5 |
| 1991 | 68.2 |
| 1992 | 91.0 |
| 1993 | 88.2 |
| 1994 | 95.1 |
| 1995 | 91.0 |
| 1996 | 96.9 |
| 1997 | 102.1 |
| 1998 | 100.5 |
| 1999 | 105.4 |
| 2000 | 98.4 |
| 2001 | 88.8 |
| 2002 | 86.7 |
| 2003 | 92.6 |
| 2004 | 97.1 |
| 2005 | 91.5 |
| 2006 | 91.7 |
| 2007 | 75.5 |
| 2008 | 60.1 |
| 2009 | 72.5 |
| 2010 | 74.5 |
| 2011 | 69.9 |
| 2012 | 72.9 |
| 2013 | 82.5 |
| 2014 | 93.6 |
| 2015 | 92.6 |
| 2016 | 98.2 |
| 2017 | 95.9 |
| 2018 | 98.3 |
| 2019 | 99.3 |
| 2020 | 80.7 |
| 2021 | 70.6 |
| 2022 | 59.8 |
| 2023 | 69.7 |
| 2024 | 74.0 |
| 2025 | 52.9 |
| 2026 | 44.8 |
Hover the line to read any month. Drag across the chart to zoom; double-click to reset.
Source: FRED · UMCSENT · series · Jan 1978 to May 2026 · latest-revised
Refreshed Jul 31, 2026 from FRED.
How households feel about the economy, by survey.
University of Michigan Index of Consumer Sentiment.
Source: FRED · May 2026 · Full lesson → Learn
About the bands. Shaded spans are NBER-dated US recessions, drawn as factual overlays. They mark when the economy contracted, not why. Lining an event up with a move is not evidence it caused the move.
Read across
No single number is the economy. These measure nearby parts of it — add one to compare, or open it on its own.
- Retail Sales What households actually spent, against how they say they feel.
- Real Wage Growth (YoY) Whether pay is keeping up with prices.
- Gas Price A price households watch week to week.