Irish consumers are particularly worried about inflation, according to a new global survey from Deloitte.
Deloitte's latest State of the Consumer Tracker for November found that 78% of consumers here are concerned about rising prices.
This is just behind the level of 79% in the UK, but it is well ahead of other countries - in particular Saudi Arabia and China, who showed the lowest levels of concern at 49% and 37% respectively.
The Deloitte Global State of the Consumer Tracker reveals the sentiment and beliefs driving consumer behaviours in Ireland and 24 other markets throughout the world.
The latest survey found that six out of ten Irish consumers had no extra money left at the end of the month - and 55% said their financial situation had worsened over the past year.
As a result of that, consumers were adopting new habits to try to deal with higher prices.
43% of consumers said they dedicated a lot of time to planning their grocery shopping, which is slightly above the global average.
Meanwhile, 41% are buying mostly own-brand products while half are trying harder to make the most of what they have when planning out their meals.
Daniel Murray, Partner and Head of Consumer at Deloitte Ireland, said that on the sentiment side, 21% of Irish consumers are concerned about making upcoming payments and 19% are concerned about credit card debt.
He said that inflation concerns have been widespread among Irish consumers for well over a year and with the prolonged situation taking its toll on spending decisions, many are adopting more recessionary behaviours.
"This is a pattern in the majority of the 24 countries in which Deloitte spoke to consumers but particularly the case with Irish consumers. 54% of Irish consumers intend to delay large purchases and only 36% said they can now afford to spend on things that bring them joy," he noted.
