Korean consumer confidence weakened in October 2026, with the Bank of Korea’s Composite Consumer Sentiment Index falling 1.2 points from September to 105.4. The central bank attributed the deterioration to a stock-market pullback and ongoing tensions in the Middle East.

Korean consumer confidence weakens across economic assessments

Households became less positive about both current economic conditions and the outlook. The index measuring assessments of the current economy declined 1 point to 82, while the future economic expectations index fell 2 points to 88.

The survey covered 2,500 households between October 13 and 20, 2026. Its results capture sentiment during that period rather than developments over the whole month.

The KOSIS explanation of the composite sentiment index describes a measure built by standardizing six consumer survey indexes, including current living conditions. That makes the headline CCSI a broader measure of household sentiment than either of the individual economic-assessment readings.

Stock-market losses form the backdrop

The KOSPI fell 15.7% over the first three weeks of October amid renewed concerns about the prospects for large-scale investment in artificial-intelligence infrastructure.

The Bank of Korea identified market fluctuations and geopolitical tensions as factors weighing on consumers. The survey figures do not isolate how much of the confidence decline came from either factor, and the stock-market performance covers a different window from the household survey.

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