34% of Global Consumers Say They Are Worse Off Financially Than a Year Ago as Households Adapt to a New Era of Permanent Uncertainty, NIQ Finds
Business Wire•30/09/2026•06:45 ET
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Key Highlights
- ➤34% of global consumers say they are financially worse off than a year ago
- ➤$23 billion shifted from mainstream-priced CPG products toward value and premium alternatives
- ➤77% of financially challenged consumers blame rising living costs for worsening finances
- ➤34% of global shoppers rank quality and performance as leading purchase-worth determinants
Expert Statements
Lauren Fernandes, Vice President, Global Content at NIQ
“The most important story is not that consumers are under pressure, it's that they’re responding to that pressure in fundamentally different ways.”
Lauren Fernandes, Vice President, Global Content at NIQ
“The next phase of consumer growth will be shaped less by the average consumer and more by increasingly different spending realities.”
Lauren Fernandes, Vice President, Global Content at NIQ
“Across many markets, we are seeing consumers gravitate toward either meaningful savings or meaningful upgrades, creating pressure on the middle of the market and forcing brands to be much clearer about where they compete and why they matter.”
34% of Global Consumers Say They Are Worse Off Financially Than a Year Ago as Households Adapt to a New Era of Permanent Uncertainty, NIQ Finds
Latest NIQ Consumer Outlook survey and report reveals shoppers are becoming more selective, with more than $23 billion shifting away from mainstream-priced CPG products toward value and premium alternatives
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