As euro-area households grapple with the cost of living and job prospects, the European Central Bank (ECB) has published its May 2026 Consumer Expectations Survey, a monthly check-in on how people see prices, pay, income, unemployment and saving plans evolving.
The latest readout refreshes both near-term and medium-term views. It captures where households think inflation is heading, how strongly they expect wages and incomes to grow, how secure they feel about employment, and whether they plan to save or spend. These sentiment gauges help the central bank judge how firmly price pressures are embedded and how consumer behaviour might amplify or cool them.
The European Central Bank will fold the findings into its policy analysis ahead of upcoming rate decisions, with investors and economists watching for any shift in inflation expectations or household caution that could alter the path of borrowing costs and growth across the euro area.
For more detail, read the full announcement.