(RNN) - As the economy slowly recovers, consumer attitudes are following the same trend, with shoppers saying they were more positive in December 2011 than in previous months, according to a survey released Monday.
"December attitudes have rebounded from the lows seen during the debt ceiling debate and economic deterioration of Europe this past summer," said Dough Duncan, vice president and chief economist for Fannie Mae. "There is marked improvement in consumer sentiment regarding the direction of the economy, personal finances and future home price expectations."
Fannie Mae's National Housing Survey is conducted monthly and aims to get a feel for how Americans feel about the economy and the housing market, in particular.
The survey shows that during December, 22 percent of Americans said the economy was moving in the right direction - the highest percentage since July 2011 when 23 percent of Americans felt that way.
Consumer confidence plummeted soon after that, staying steady for four months following the debt ceiling debate, with only 16 percent of Americans feeling that the economy was on the right track.
"Consumer attitudes are still at depressed levels," said Duncan, who also highlighted the fact that two-thirds of Americans still think the economy is on the wrong track.
Gallup's Economic Confidence Index also confirmed that Americans were feeling the most positive they had felt in months, with numbers rising from -41 in late July to -34 at the end of December.
The numbers are also the best the Index has seen since July 2011.
Gallup also found that consumer spending had risen moderately in December, from $71 in November 2011 to $76. The number was the best for the year, but still low compared to previous years.
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