Ireland is the sixth most consumer confident country in Europe, according to a new survey.

The Republic of Ireland’s Consumer Confidence Index score for the end of 2016 was at its highest level since the recession, it has been revealed in the latest Nielsen Global Survey of Consumer Confidence and Spending Intentions.

The score, which measures attitudes on topics such as personal finances and job prospects, hit 100 for the final two quarters of 2016 which is the first time it has hit this mark since 2007.

A score of above 100 indicates degrees of optimism.

The latest survey results show that 58% of Irish consumers are feeling positive about their job, while a decreased 59% have changed spending habits to save money and just 32% have switched to cheaper grocery brands.

Finally 52% are said to be feeling positive about their personal finances.

Alongside this, the amount Irish consumers spent on everyday groceries increased +2.1% in Q4 2016 versus Q4 2015 – the seventh consecutive quarterly rise.

The 2.1% rise was based on a 1.5% increase in the volume of groceries purchased and a 0.6% rise in the average prices paid.

The Irish market outperformed both Europe as a whole (1.8% rise) and the UK (0.7% rise).

Matt Clark, Nielsen’s commercial director in Ireland said: “Irish consumer confidence has been steadily rising for the last few years and has been stable enough to withstand recent unsettling events such as the UK Brexit and the US election.

“Although we’re a long way from seeing a return to the days of the Celtic Tiger, this confidence has slowly been translating into increasing spend among consumers.

“A good barometer of this is year-on-year grocery spend rising for seven consecutive quarters plus the volume of groceries purchased jumping by its highest level for a year.

“This provides encouraging signs for the future, particularly with a flat consumer price index and ECB interest rates remaining at a record low.”