Consumer scoreboard
The 2023 Consumer Conditions Scoreboard provides analysis of recent consumer experience and behaviour in the Single Market. Key findings show how consumers responded to multiple crises: 37% of EU consumers adapted to high inflation by dipping into their savings while 71% took measures to reduce their energy consumption at home. Post-COVID, only 33% agreed that they would accept a voucher instead of a refund in case of travel cancellation.
Growth in sustainable consumption appears to have stopped. Some 56% of consumers declared they were influenced by environmental considerations to some extent when purchasing goods and services while 43% not at all, the same as in 2020. At the same time 56% of consumers declare they trust the reliability of environment claims, 5 percentage points lower than two years ago.
Consumers are frequently exposed online to unfair practices. For example 69% of consumers had come across reviews that did not appear genuine. 94% of consumers, when asked about targeted advertising, expressed at least one concern related to their privacy. In addition, a study published alongside the scoreboard, highlights that only 38% of consumers are aware that connected vehicles collect personal data and even fewer understand how it used (31%).
Background: The consumer conditions scoreboard aims to monitor the consumer environment across the EU. Its main data source is the Consumer Conditions Survey. Where relevant, data from other sources give contextual information. It is produced every two years.
Consumer conditions survey
The 2022 Consumer conditions survey was carried out in October and November 2022 for the account of the European Commission by IPSOS. Specific questions were asked to assess consumers’ response to the energy and cost-of-living crises, travel intentions post-COVID19 as well as about online gaming behaviour. Based on the survey results, the Consumer Conditions Index (CCI) was also computed.
See data on the Consumer Conditions Index (CCI) by country and comparison with 2020
See reference metadata on both methodology and quality
Background: The Consumer conditions survey is a representative survey conducted in each Member State of the Union, as well as Iceland and Norway. It aims to assess consumer attitudes, behaviours and experience in the Single Market, regarding the respect of consumer rights and product safety. It also asks topical questions as relevant.
See previous consumer scoreboards
Market surveys
Study on the provision of information to consumers about the processing of vehicle-generated data
The report highlights that consumers often lack knowledge of the collection and processing of their personal data by connected vehicles: only 38% are aware that these vehicles collect data and even fewer understand how it is used (31%).
Market monitoring survey
The Consumer Market Monitoring Survey assesses the performance of a range of goods and service markets across the European Union, the UK, Iceland and Norway. It looks at consumers’ experiences and perceptions of the markets using a small set of core indicators to allow consistent and comparable monitoring across markets, countries and survey waves, as well as additional indicators that are specific to a particular market or survey wave.
The survey aims to identify whether markets are functioning properly for consumers and whether particular socio-demographic groups are experiencing specific problems in certain markets.