The Conference Board of Canada said Wednesday that its consumer confidence index fell for the fourth month in a row to 78.1 in September.

That's 1.2 points lower than the August confidence reading and 18.5 points below where it stood in January.

Canada's economic growth has slowed sharply in recent months, after setting a rapid pace in late 2009 and early 2010.

The September survey by the private sector forecaster found Canadians more gloomy across the spectrum of questions, from future job prospects to future buying intentions.

Confidence dropped in all regions in Canada except the Atlantic, with British Columbia recording the biggest decline.