US consumer sentiment, 1952 to 2026
US consumer sentiment stood at 45 in 2026, down 10.0% on the previous period.
The latest reading is an index level of 44.8, for May 2026, against an index level of 49.8 in April 2026. The series is quarterly (FRED series UMCSENT) and runs from November 1952.
How it is measured
The University of Michigan's consumer sentiment index, from monthly interviews asking households about their finances and the economy ahead, indexed so 1966 = 100. It measures the mood that spending decisions get made in. The data reaches us through FRED, the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis's data service, and originates with the University of Michigan Surveys of Consumers.
What the curve shows
Sentiment has run between 44.8 (May 2026) and 112 (January 2000) over the window. The index falls with inflation and unemployment and rises with recoveries; its sharpest modern low came not in a recession but in the 2022 inflation wave, a reminder that prices wound moods deeper than joblessness statistics suggest.
Does sentiment predict spending?
Why has sentiment detached from economic data at times?
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