THE HAGUE, 11/07/06 - Dutch consumer confidence according to the European Commission definition was up 21 points from a year earlier in June at 16 points. Confidence also rose strongly in Estonia and Germany, but in no other EU country was the improvement as big as in the Netherlands.

On average, consumer confidence in the EU was up 5 points in June from the same year-earlier month. In six EU countries, confidence has fallen in the past year. The increase in the Netherlands mainly reflects improved expectations about unemployment. In virtually all countries where confidence picked up, this was also largely thanks to improved expectations on unemployment. Dutch consumers have also become more positive on the future of the economy and their own finances in the past year, the Central Bureau for Statistics (CBS) reported yesterday.

Dutch consumer confidence had been weak for some time, reaching a low of minus 19 in summer 2003. In the last three quarters, an uptrend set in, with consumer confidence moving over zero in December 2005. From that point, there have been more positively than negatively toned consumers. EU consumer confidence also improved in the past year, but remained well below zero.

EU consumer confidence averaged minus 11 between January 1990 and June 2006. The most optimistic consumers hail from Scandinavia. The Netherlands is among the five EU countries in which consumers have on average been positive over the same period.