Global consumer confidence edged up one index point in the third quarter to a score of 98—up from 97 in the previous quarter and up two points from the start of the year. The index, which has been on a slow and steady rise for two and a half years (since Q1 2012), has now exceeded a pre-recession level of 94 for three consecutive quarters. The latest results reflect an outlook of cautious optimism, as every region’s consumer confidence score improved from the previous quarter.

Consumer confidence in the North America region improved most, rising four points to 107—a score that matches Asia-Pacific’s score for the first time in Nielsen’s Consumer Confidence history (since 2005); Asia-Pacific’s score increased one point. Confidence also increased three points in the Middle East/Africa (96), one point in Latin America (91) and one point in Europe (78), from the previous quarter.

The Nielsen consumer confidence index measures perceptions of local job prospects, personal finances and immediate spending intentions. Consumer confidence levels above and below a baseline of 100 indicate degrees of optimism and pessimism, respectively. The Nielsen Global Survey of Consumer Confidence and Spending Intentions, established in 2005, measures consumer confidence, major concerns and spending intentions among more than 30,000 respondents with Internet access in 60 countries.

In addition to the report, Nielsen has updated its Global Consumer Confidence Trend Tracker to include third-quarter 2014 data. The tracker allows users to create dynamic historical views by region, country and time period so they can explore consumer trends, compare markets and reveal insights in a click. Give it a try here.