The Nielsen Global Consumer Confidence Index rose 1 point in the third quarter to 98, according to the survey conducted between August 13 and September 5. The index has been steadily rising since the first quarter of 2012 and the latest reading headed closer to the 100 mark which signals optimism among consumers.
India remained the most optimistic consumer market with 126 points, while Italy became the most pessimistic with 47 points.
In Croatia, consumer confidence dropped one point to 49, still making Croatian consumers among the most pessimistic, coming second to last in the rankings for quarter three.
The survey showed that concerns about the economy and job prospects had eased globally from the second quarter, but in North America and Europe that had been replaced by rising worries about war and terrorism.
European countries generally were the most pessimistic, reflecting the conflict in Ukraine, faltering growth and the risk of deflation in the euro zone. Britain and Germany, however, saw consumer confidence improve.
Australia saw the biggest increase in confidence from the previous quarter, by 12 points, followed by Slovenia with a 9-point increase and Thailand with 8 points.
The Nielsen survey was conducted online and covered more than 30,000 consumers across 60 markets.