Consumer confidence in Finland fell further in October, with the balance figure at -9.7, down from -4.9 in September, Statistics Finland reported, according to kauppalehti.fi, Keskisuomalainen and Yle.
The reading is clearly below the long-term average. A year earlier, the October figure was -7.6. In October 2026, confidence was highest in the Helsinki region and lowest in Northern Finland.
Consumers' intentions to spend money weakened sharply. Fewer than average considered buying a car or an apartment. Views on unemployment development darkened again, and consumers saw the threat of unemployment as high.
"Finland's economy has turned to growth, but it doesn't yet show in consumers' everyday life," said Petri Malinen, chief economist at Suomen Yrittäjät, in a statement. In the consumer confidence survey, 28% of respondents estimated their own economy was worse than a year earlier, and 61% thought Finland's economic situation was weaker than a year earlier. The survey included 1,171 people living in Finland.
Business confidence in Finland weakened slightly in October but remains at a fairly good level, according to the Confederation of Finnish Industries EK. The largest declines were in services and retail, while industry and construction saw only small changes. EK's chief economist Penna Urrila noted that the confidence level is still clearly higher than at the beginning of the year.