Chinese Consumer Confidence Rebounds in Q4 2011: Survey

BEIJING, March 9 (Xinhua) -- Chinese consumer confidence rebounded in the fourth quarter of 2011 to return to the level at the year's beginning after a decline in the second and third quarters, according to a recent survey by the Nielsen Company.

Launched in Beijing Friday, Nielsen's quarterly consumer confidence index report showed that China's score was 108 in the fourth quarter of 2011, up four points from the previous quarter and eight points from the same period of 2010.

Meanwhile, China's score was 19 points higher than the global average of 89 points, according to the report, in which China ranked sixth globally in terms of consumer confidence. India took the top spot with 122 points.

The main reasons behind the rebound in Chinese consumer confidence was an overall stable employment environment, an expected income rise, and an ease in inflation, according to Karthik Rao, a senior executive with Nielsen.

The quarterly report came after Nielsen surveyed more than 3,500 Chinese urban and rural consumers.

According to the index, a score above 100 points indicates optimism among consumers, while a figure below 100 denotes pessimism.