Dutch consumers among most optimistic

VOORBURG – The Dutch are joined by the Finns and Swedes as the most optimistic consumers in Europe. Consumer confidence in Europe has clearly been on the rise since 2003, unlike the situation in the United States, Statistics Netherlands (CBS) reported on Monday. Finnish, Dutch and Swedish consumers were the most positive of all EU states with regard to the economy. Consumers in Hungary, Poland and Cyprus were the most pessimistic. Consumer confidence in the EU has been steadily growing since 2003. That is not the case in the US: consumer confidence in the US this year is at about the same level as in 2003.//Expatica News + ANP 2007