After some other recent signs of improvement in the economy, GfK's headline consumer confidence index rose by more than expected in February, increasing by seven points to -38, climbing further away from September's -49 record low.
Joe Staton, GfK's client strategy director, said consumers were suddenly more optimistic about their personal finances and the general economic situation, especially for the coming year, despite the continued hit to their incomes from high inflation.
The GfK survey's measure of how consumers view the economy over the next 12 months jumped to -43 from -54 in January, while households' feelings about their personal finances increased by nine points, GfK said.
Linda Ellett, UK head of consumer markets at KPMG, said consumers were turning to savings and debt as higher prices squeezed household budgets.
The survey of 2,000 people was conducted between Feb. 1 and Feb. 13.