A study by GFK indicates that the Portuguese have begun to believe that the end of the crisis is approaching.
The economic sentiment indicator for September is at the highest level since April 2010.
The Consumer Climate in Europe survey by GFK covered 14 European countries and shows that the Portuguese believe that the crisis may be over, a feeling that is echoed by the other countries analyzed.
The survey was carried out in the third quarter of 2013 and centred on economic and income expectations showing that the Germans, followed by the Austrians and Bulgarians, are the Europeans with the greatest willingness to start spending again.
In September the overall figure for Portugal showed an increase of 35 points against the darkest time of the crisis in September 2011.
The index of income expectations also improved in all countries studied, except in the Netherlands, with the growth in willingness to spend rising substantially in most countries. Only in Portugal, Greece, France, Romania, Austria and the Czech Republic has the willingness to buy remained stagnant.