[By NBC-1TV H. J Yook]Global Consumer Confidence Index in Q1 2011 rose to 92, which is up 2 points compared to Q4 2010, according to the latest Global Consumer Confidence Index by The Nielsen Company (NYSE: NLSN), a global information service company, on a quarterly basis. Regionally, it shows the highest scores in Middle East & Africa(106 index points) which is increased 17 points for the previous quarter and in Asia Pacific(107 index points) which was up 8 points compared to Q4 2010 and 10 points increase year on year.

Consumers in India(131 index points) were the most bullish globally which is edged up 1 point, followed by Saudi Arabia(118 index points, +14 points) and Indonesia(116 index points, + 10 points). Consumer Confidence Index was weakest in Portugal(39), which increased 6 points for the previous quarter. “Global recovery, despite its slow pace, is heading in the right direction. But still, more than half (55%) of global online consumers say they are currently in a recession, and of those, 51 percent expect to be in a recession for at least another year.” said Eun-Hee Shin, Managing Director, Nielsen Company Korea. “In the last 18 months, we have seen a clear divergence in how regions and countries are emerging from the global recession and this trend has become even more pronounced in the first quarter.” added Shin.

“Since 2010, the consumer inflation rate has been steadily rising due to unusually cold weather and an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease among dairy, beef and pig farms. Although the unemployment rate has been slightly decreased by job creation in the private sector, overall consumer sentiment has continued to weaken due to the sluggish housing marketing, rising interest rates and high oil prices.” analyzed Shin regarding Consumer Confidence Index in Korea.