Dutch consumer confidence fell sharply in April, dropping from -30 to -44 on the scale used by Statistics Netherlands (CBS, the national statistical agency), marking the steepest single-month decline since the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020. The CBS, which surveys consumer sentiment monthly, found that anxieties over rising prices — particularly at petrol stations — linked to the ongoing Middle East conflict are prompting more Dutch households to delay major purchases. A sustained fall in consumer confidence of this kind typically signals a slowdown in economic activity, though analysts note sentiment can recover quickly, as it did within two months during the pandemic.