The economic confidence index fell in March, dropping from 100.7 in February to 97.9, a decline of 2.8 percent, the Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK) said on March 30.
This shift pushed the indicator below the threshold of 100, signaling a pessimistic outlook for the economy.
The consumer confidence index, which had risen by 2.3 percent in February to 85.7, slipped by 0.8 percent in March to 85, while the real sector confidence index, up 1.1 percent in February, fell sharply by 3.9 percent to 100.
The services confidence index, unchanged in February, edged down by 0.5 percent to 113.2. Retail trade confidence, which had increased 2.9 percent in February, declined by 2 percent to 113.6. The construction confidence index, which had already dropped 2.1 percent in February, fell further by 3.9 percent to 80.6 in March.
The economic confidence index ranges between 0 and 200. Values above 100 indicate optimism about the general economic situation, while readings below 100 reflect pessimism.
