Consumer confidence rose in March according to a monthly report published by Egypt's Information and Decision Support Center (IDSC). According to the IDSC bulletin, consumer price indices climbed 1.7 per cent last month to reach their highest level since January. “This reflect the fact that consumers feel optimistic towards the actual economic conditions,” the report said. Contrary to negative claims that have been made since the start of the January 25 Revolution, indices for family level income in March were actually up 55.3 per cent compared to February. “[This] is due to the rise of the number of persons who believe their financial situation will improve” said the bulletin. It wasn't all good news though -- indices of confidence in prevailing economic policies dipped 4.1 per cent in March. The governorate with the highest consumer confidence was Al-Sharqiya in the Delta, followed by Sohag in Upper Egypt. The people of Assiut and Damietta were the most pessimistic.
