CONSUMER confidence is racing into territory normally associated with an economic boom as the fastest jump on record turns even Coalition voters into optimists.

The Westpac-Melbourne Institute confidence index soared 28 per cent in three months to August, a far bigger jump than the 23 per cent recorded as Australia climbed out of the early 1980s recession and the 20 per cent recorded as Australia rose from the recession that began in 1987.

Optimists outnumber or equal pessimists in every age group, income range and occupation and, for the first time in almost two years, every political persuasion.

''I am amazed,'' said Melbourne Institute's Professor Guay Lim, who compiled the survey.

''We asked the questions this weekend after a week of very good news on employment and the Reserve Bank's positive assessment of the economy. People seem to have come around to the view that the worst won't happen to them.''