Consumer confidence in the Netherlands slightly improved to -33 in September 2026 from -34 in August, marking the least pessimistic reading since March but remaining well below its long-term average of -12 over the past 20 years. The improvement was driven by greater willingness to buy, which rose to -17 from -19 as consumers became more optimistic about their financial outlook for the next 12 months, with the balance rising to 0 from -3, while views on the timing of major purchases improved to -35 from -37. In contrast, the economic climate indicator fell to -58 from -57 as consumers became more negative about both the economic situation over the past 12 months, with the balance declining to -65 from -64, and the outlook for the next 12 months, which slipped to -50 from -49. Assessments of personal finances over the past year remained unchanged at -16. Despite the modest improvement, confidence also remained far below the record high of +36 reached in January 2000.