Consumer confidence peaked to minus 18.9% in July 2001, the highest figure since July 1995, the National Statistical Institute reported. NSI conducted a third consumer confidence survey for 2001. The poll is part of a EU harmonized programme for surveying business trends and consumers. NSI said that the average value of the consumer confidence index in the EU in the past ten years is minus 12%; in April 2001 it was minus 2%. Consumer confidence in Bulgaria grew 9.1 percentage points in April to July and 2.9% in January-April. Consumers made more optimistic assessments and forecasts on almost all questions compared to three months ago. Consumers` expectations and assessments of the overall economic situation in Bulgaria were more favourable compared to the survey three months ago. A positive value of 13.7% the balance of consumers` expectations about the overall economic situation in Bulgaria, meaning that optimistic expectations outnumbered the pessimistic ones, was registered for the first time since 1995. In terms of the July value of this index, Bulgaria exceeds the registered highest figures for all EU member states. The consumers assessed favourably inflation in the past twelve months. The consumers also had more optimistic expectations about unemployment compared to three months ago. Compared with the previous survey, the assessments of the development of households` financial situation were less pessimistic in July 2001: the balance improved by 6.1 percentage points. The balance for the expected change in the household financial situation in the next twelve months grew by 10.8 percentage points reaching plus 0.3%. The survey showed that the level of consumer confidence grew among all categories of people. It was highest among people with highest incomes, minus 9.4%, which is by 3.2 percentage points higher than three months ago. The increase was smallest, by 2.5 percentage points to minus 14%, among people with junior college degrees and university degrees. The consumer confidence index grew fastest, by 14.7 percentage points reaching minus 20.9%, among unemployed people. In terms of urban/rural population, the index increased by 8.3 percentage points and 11 percentage points respectively, each reaching about minus 19%, NSI said.