YEREVAN, March 20. /ARKA/. Consumer confidence index in the 1st Q of 2012 in Armenia increased by 3.5% making 47.2 compared to the same period of 2011, press-service of CBA informed ARKA News Agency.

Compared to the 4th Q of 2011 consumer confidence index increased by 6.7%.
Index of current conditions in the reporting period increased by 22.1% compared to the 1st Q of 2011. Sub-index of the fact of large purchases (38.7%) and sub-index giving assessment of the economic status of households (24.5%) registered growth.
Along with the increase of the index of current conditions in the 1st Q, growth of households’ income amounting 2.4% was registered compared to the 1st Q of 2011.
According to the press-release, index of future conditions continues to reduce. For example, in the 1st Q this index reduced by 7.4% compared to the same period of 2011 making 53.2.

The given reduction is conditioned by the fact that all three sub-indices included in this group registered decrease in the 1st Q compared to the 1st Q of 2011.
The highest decrease was registered in the sub-index assessing the expectations of large purchases of households - about 11% (vs. the decline by 7% in the 3rd Q). Sub-index, assessing changes in the expectations of income reduced by 8.9% (vs. 17.2%), and the sub-index of expectations of households’ employment - by 2.5%.

Consumer confidence index is the average arithmetical index, received in the result of consumers’ (households) response regarding their expectations on income change, expenses and employment level, as well as relationship to the current economic situation.
From the beginning of 2005, CBA conducts quarterly surveys of non-financial, financial organizations and households aiming at the assessment of changes of current economic situation compared to the past period, assessments of economic expectations of the studied entities on the basis of the results of calculation surveys and publication of economic indices.

Surveys have been conducted through Internet via telephone communication, letters and fax. On the basis of the results of the surveys indices of business environment, economic activity and consumer confidence by 100-score scale are considered. Moreover, the score over 50 demonstrates stability. --0—