Australian consumer gloom worsens amid devastating bushfires

Alisha Stoneham returns to her property, where she and her partner were nearly caught in the flames before narrowly escaping, following the recent bushfires in Conjola Park, New South Wales, Australia, January 21, 2020. REUTERS/Loren Elliott

SYDNEY: Australian consumer pessimism deepened in January as households fretted about the economic impact of devastating bushfires that killed 29 people, millions of animals and destroyed thousands of homes in recent months.

The Melbourne Institute and Westpac Bank index of consumer sentiment, released on Wednesday, fell 1.8% in January to the lowest since last October. It declined 1.9% in December.