German Consumer Morale Darkens as Omicron Raises Spectre of Recession

A woman wearing a protective mask walks past the skyline of the financial district during sunset as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues in Frankfurt, Germany, on Oct. 26, 2020. Kai Pfaffenbach/Reuters

BERLIN—German consumer morale will deteriorate further at the start of next year, a survey showed on Tuesday, as the COVID-19 pandemic and the rise of the Omicron variant push Europe’s largest economy to the brink of a recession during the winter.

The Nuremberg-based GfK market research institute said its consumer sentiment index, based on a survey of about 2,000 Germans, fell to -6.8 points heading into January, against a revised -1.8 points a month earlier.