ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Consumer confidence index

Hi there! The Consumer Confidence Index (CCI) is like trying to figure out if you're feeling happy or sad about the things around you.

When people are feeling good (happy), they tend to spend more money on things they don't need like toys or candy, and they feel confident that the economy is doing well. Just like when you're feeling good, you might want to buy more toys or share your candy with your friends.

But when people are feeling bad (sad), they tend to spend less money on things they don't need, like toys or candy, and they feel less confident that the economy is doing well. Just like when you're feeling bad, you might not want to play with your toys or share your candy with your friends.

The Consumer Confidence Index is a number used by grown-ups to help them understand how people are feeling about the economy. Researchers ask thousands of people questions about how they feel about the economy and the things around them, like jobs, prices, and how easy it is to buy things they need.

After looking at all the answers, the researchers use special math to figure out a number that represents how confident people are feeling about the economy. A high number means people are feeling really confident and a low number means people are feeling less confident.

Just like how you sometimes ask your friends how they're feeling and if they want to play, grown-ups use the Consumer Confidence Index to understand how people are feeling and what they might want to buy or do. And that's the Consumer Confidence Index, in a nutshell!