UK consumers remain subdued as they brace for tougher times, GfK survey shows

LONDON - British consumer confidence held steady in June but younger people turned more pessimistic about the economy and their personal financial situation against a backdrop of political uncertainty, a long-running survey showed on Friday.

GfK's monthly Consumer Confidence Index held at -23 in June the same as in May, and marginally above economists' median forecast in a Reuters poll that had pointed to a fall to -24.

"The lack of movement in the headline figure is misleading as, beneath the surface, there are new signs that confidence is weakening," Neil Bellamy, GfK's consumer insights director, said.

• Confidence among people aged between 16 and 29 dropped by 11 points to -2, the weakest in two years

• Consumers' assessment of their personal financial situation over the past 12 months fell by three points to -10 while their expectations for the coming year held at -2

• Intentions to make major purchases was unchanged at -20, its joint-lowest since January 2025

• Households' assessment of the general economic outlook for the past year fell by two points to -49, while their outlook for the coming 12 months rose by two points to -36

• The GfK survey was based on 2,003 responses between May 29 and June 10

(Reporting by Suban Abdulla; editing by David Milliken)

Copyright Reuters or USA Today Network via Reuters Connect.

This story was originally published June 18, 2026 at 7:02 PM.