Photo : YONHAP News
Consumer sentiment fell by the biggest margin since the short-lived martial law declaration in late 2024 in the wake of the crisis in the Middle East.
According to the Bank of Korea’s(BOK) Consumer Tendency Survey for March 2026, released on Wednesday, the composite consumer sentiment index fell five-point-one points from January to 107 last month.
A reading above 100 indicates that optimists outnumber pessimists, and a figure below 100 signals the opposite.
The index, which jumped by one point in January and one-point-three points the following month, recorded the sharpest drop since the 12-point-seven-point decline logged in December 2024.
A BOK spokesperson attributed the sharp decline to rising consumer prices driven by the war in Iran, fears of an economic slowdown and heightened volatility in financial markets.