Economic data · September 26, 2026 · 1 min read

September consumer sentiment slips to 48.1 in final Michigan survey

Published September 26, 2026 • Updated September 26, 2026

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The University of Michigan reports its final September consumer sentiment index at 48.1, down from 51.7 in August. Surveyed consumers also expect 4.6% inflation over the coming year, up from 4.0%.

The University of Michigan's Surveys of Consumers reported a final September 2026 sentiment index of 48.1, down from 51.7 in August and 55.1 in September 2025. The Current Index was 50.9, down from 51.9 in August, and the Expectations Index fell to 46.3 from 51.5. In the survey's September report, year-ahead inflation expectations rose to 4.6% from 4.0% in August, while long-run expectations edged up to 3.4% after three months at 3.3%. These are consumers' expectations, not measured inflation. About 55% of respondents cited high prices as a negative factor for their personal finances, compared with 53% in August and 44% a year earlier. The university said concerns about fuel prices, trade tensions and borrowing costs weighed on the outlook; respondents cited interest rates as a growing obstacle to home and vehicle purchases. The survey describes a nationally representative rotating panel of households in the contiguous United States, interviewed online throughout the month. Its results gauge attitudes, not a forecast that inflation or bond yields will take a particular path. The source draft mixed these survey findings with an unverified Bloomberg market survey and Treasury closing yields. Those market figures are excluded from this article.

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