Inflation Panic Sends US Consumer Confidence To All-Time Low: University Of Michigan

Confidence among American consumers has never been this depressed in the history of the University of Michigan survey.
The preliminary April consumer sentiment index crashed to 47.6 — an all-time record low, an 11% monthly plunge and a sharp miss against the 52 consensus — as the Iran war’s economic fallout spread from the gas pump into households’ broader outlook on their finances, jobs and the future.
Chart: Worst Consumer Confidence Reading Since Records Began

Consumer Surveys For April 2026: Full Breakdown




Indicator
April 2026
March 2026
April 2025
MoM Change
vs. Consensus




Consumer Sentiment
47.6
53.3
52.2
–10.7%
MISS vs. 52.0


Current Economic Conditions
50.1
55.8
59.8
–10.2%
—


Consumer Expectations
46.1
51.7
47.3
–10.8%
—


1-Year Inflation Expectations
4.8%
3.8%
5.3%
+1