'Indians most confident consumers'

An ACNielsen survey shows that while India tops the list, countries like Japan and Portugal figure right at the end.

Indians are the world's most optimistic consumers, followed by Norwegians and Danes, while Japanese remain cautious despite their recovering economy, a survey by market researcher ACNielsen shows.

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India set the highest level ever registered in the ACNielsen Global Consumer Confidence Index with a reading of 137, although Norway was not far behind at 134 and Denmark at 129.

Indians, benefiting from a booming economy, have topped the twice-yearly survey since it was introduced in early 2005.

In contrast, consumers in Asia's other surging economy, China, scored a much lower 105 although that was above the global average reading of 99.

The index, published on Wednesday, measures consumer confidence for the coming six months and is based on a survey covering 46 markets around the world.

The latest survey, taken in late October and early November, polled more than 25,000 Internet users.

The index average of 99 was up one point from the previous survey in the first half of 2006.

Japanese consumers were the third-most pessimistic in the survey, after South Koreans and Portuguese.

Japan scored an index reading of 71, suggesting consumers there have yet to be convinced about the sustainability of the country's economic recovery.