According to the report, which reaches here from Taipei, while four out of the six indicators used for the survey declined in July, the "timing for investing in the stock market in the next six months" saw the greatest rate of decrease, losing 3.1 points from June.

Coming in second was the "domestic consumer price level in the next six months," which decreased 1.4 points from June to a record low of 39.55 as skyrocketing international oil prices have triggered public anxiety about possible inflation.

The "domestic economic outlook in the next six months" hit 52.75, down 0.55 points from the previous month, while the "family financial status in the next six months" stood at 55.30, down 0.35 points from the month-earlier level.

Meanwhile, the "timing for buying durable goods in the next six months" gained one point from June to stand at a record high of 117.00, and the "employment opportunities in the next six months" rose 0.8 points to 75.60.

The survey, conducted from July 18-21 on 2,615 adults around Taiwan via telephone, has a margin of error of plus or minus 1.9 percentage points.