Indians have emerged as the most confident consumers globally in the fourth quarter of 2012 despite job security and economy remaining their biggest concerns, in a study by provider of market information and insights Nielsen.

Consumer confidence in India increased two points to 121 in Q4, 2012 from the previous quarter. India has picked up on levels of optimism from Q2 and Q3, where it was steady at 119 points, though lower from Q1, when confidence levels were at 123 points, Nielsen said in a statement.

"The aspirational Indian is willing to upgrade, while more value conscious consumers are more responsive to deals and buying in bulk to keep expenditure buoyant," Nielsen India Region President Piyush Mathur said.

According to the survey conducted between November 10 and 27, 2012, consumer confidence declined in 33 countries and increased in 19 countries. It polled more than 29,000 online consumers in 58 countries in Asia-Pacific, Europe, Latin America, Middle East, Africa and North America.

India was followed in second and third by Philippines (119) and Indonesia (117) in the consumer confidence index. Crisis-ridden Greece came last with its consumer confidence index at 35.

As per the latest survey, 54 per cent of respondents in India indicated they would put spare cash into savings.

"Thirty-nine per cent said they would invest in new technology and products, while 36 per cent reported they would spend spare cash on new clothes," it added.

When it came to buying things they wanted and needed, 55 per cent of Indian respondents felt it was a good time in Q4. Four in five online consumers (81 per cent) indicated they have changed their spending habits to save on household expenses.

"The fourth quarter highlights the willingness of people to spend during the holidays and festival season...The optimism, though, is tempered with a judicious controlling of household and discretionary expenses in order to balance the household budget," Mathur said.

The survey showed that job security and state of the economy continued to be the top concerns for Indian respondents.

"For one in five respondents (20 per cent), job security is the biggest concern in Q4, down two points from Q3 (22 per cent). The state of the economy is the biggest concern for 11 percent of respondents, down by three points from Q3 (14 per cent)," it said.

Yet, globally 76 per cent of online consumers in India and Philippines were the most optimistic about job prospects in the next 12 months, followed by online consumers in Thailand (70 per cent) and China (70 per cent), Nielsen said.