Donald Trump boosts consumer confidence to 15-year high

Shoppers visit H&amp;M in New York on Black Friday.

(Image credit: Eduardo Munoz Alvarez/Getty Images)

The Consumer Confidence Index rose to 113.7 in December, the highest the indicator has been since August 2001, The New York Times reports. The index "is considered an important barometer of U.S. economic health because consumer spending accounts for about 68 percent of the country's total economic activity," ABC News writes.

The number was revised from 109.4 in November. "Looking ahead to 2017, consumers' continued optimism will depend on whether or not their expectations are realized," said Lynn Franco, the director of economic indicators at the Conference Board.

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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.