US Consumer Confidence Falls in May

A majority of consumers are scaling down their spending due to rising prices.

Customers line up to purchase items during a close-out sale at Miller's Surplus in Tucson, Ariz., on April 4, 2026. Allan Stein/The Epoch Times

Consumer confidence in the United States declined marginally in May due to the continued persistence of price shocks from the ongoing Middle East conflict between the United States and Iran, according to a May 26 statement from think tank The Conference Board.

The board’s Consumer Confidence Index fell 0.7 points to 93.1 this month from April. The Present Situation Index, which assesses current labor market and business conditions, declined 3.2 points. On the positive side, the Expectations Index, which measures the short-term outlook among consumers for labor market, income, and business conditions, increased one point. The indexes are calculated from the Consumer Confidence Survey conducted by the think tank.