Inflation, unemployment fears drag consumer confidence to two-year low

Mettis Global reported that Pakistan's consumer sentiment dropped to 65.3 in Q3 FY2026, the 20th edition of the Consumer Confidence Index compiled jointly by Dun & Bradstreet Pakistan and Gallup Pakistan. That reading was 24.4% lower than the 86.4 recorded in the previous quarter, leaving sentiment at its weakest level in two years. The current conditions sub-index slipped to 51.8, while the future outlook, at 78.7, was comparatively better yet still weaker than before.

The index measures perceptions across household finances, the national economy, unemployment and savings. Among 1,592 respondents, 89.3% reported higher prices for essential goods over the past six months, while 81% said joblessness had worsened in the same period. Nearly 40% expect their household finances to deteriorate further over the next half year.

Respondents aged 50 and above recorded the steepest fall at 30.4%, whereas those under 30 saw a smaller decline. Gallup Pakistan's Executive Director, Bilal Gilani, described the drop as the sharpest single-cycle fall in recent years and said consumers are struggling now rather than only worried about the future. Dun & Bradstreet Pakistan's chief business officer, Zubair Qureshi, argued that confidence will not recover unaided and needs visible progress on inflation and employment.