The composite consumer sentiment index (CCSI) stood at 78.4 in March, down 18.5 points from the previous month, according to the Bank of Korea (BOK). The reading below 100 indicates pessimist outnumbering optimists.
It was the biggest monthly fall since July 2008, marking the lowest figure in about 11 years since March 2009 when the ripple effect from the 2008 global financial crisis remained.
The collapsed consumer sentiment came as the COVID-19 outbreak spread across the world though the daily cases slowed down here in recent days.
Sub-indices fell sharply. The CSI for current economic situations plunged 28 points over the month to 38 in March, the lowest since March 2009.
The CSI for prospective economic conditions slumped 14 points to 62 in the cited month, posting the lowest since December 2008.
Inflation expectations, which measure outlook among consumers for headline inflation for the next 12 months, was unchanged at 1.7 percent in March compared with the previous month.
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