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Where in Europe do households save most of their income?

EuroNews · 🇫🇷 public France · · 705 words · By Servet Yanatma
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What to know about Where in Europe do households save most of their income?

Net household saving rates vary widely across Europe, with Greece being the only country where households spend more than they earn.

Claims checked 18
Techniques found 0
Topics 0

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage
Left0%
Center83%
Right17%

6 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Net household saving rates vary widely across Europe, with Greece being the only country where households spend more than they earn.

Why it matters

Experts point to precautionary reasons and retirement as the dominant saving motives.

Common ground

People save for several reasons, helping them build wealth and prepare for unexpected expenses.

Perspective signals

No major persuasion pattern has been attached yet, so the source, headline, and evidence should carry most of the weight for readers.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.euronews.com/business/2026/05/26/where-in-europe-do-households-save-…

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 18 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

schedule Pending 8
info Single Source 5
check_circle Corroborated 3
verified Verified 1
help Insufficient Evidence 1
schedule
Claim 1: “Greece's saving rate was mostly positive in the early 2000s”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
info
Claim 2: “Slovakia (2%), Estonia (3%), Portugal (3.4%) and Lithuania (3.8%) all sit below 4%.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The specific rates for Slovakia (2%), Estonia (3%), Portugal (3.4%), and Lithuania (3.8%) appear in one web search result, but no other sources confirm these exact figures.
schedule
Claim 3: “Greece was registering the highest share of households with consumption above income in the EU at the depth of its sovereign debt crisis in 2015”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
check_circle
Claim 4: “the net household saving rate exceeds 10% in Czechia (13.7%), France (12.8%), Germany (10.3%) and the Netherlands (10.2%).”
CORROBORATED
The specific rates for Czechia (13.7%), France (12.8%), Germany (10.3%), and the Netherlands (10.2%) are explicitly listed in multiple search results, including IndexBox.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2026 elections in the European Union include national and regional elections in the EU member states. Eight of the twenty-seven member states (Slovenia, Denmark, Hungary, Bulgaria, Malta, Sweden, …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_elections_in_the_European…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Czech Republic, presented for the first time as Czechia, was represented at the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 with the song "My Sister's Crown" performed by the band Vesna. The Czech broadcaster Če…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Czech_Republic_in_the_Eurovisi…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) intangible cultural heritage elements are the non-physical traditions and practices performed by a people. As part of a co…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Intangible_Cultural_He…
+ 3 more evidence sources
schedule
Claim 5: “Greece was one of the EU countriesin 2024 where the average level of adjusted gross disposable income of households per capita was more than 20.0% below the EU average according to Eurostat.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
check_circle
Claim 6: “Greece being the only country where households spend more than they earn.”
CORROBORATED
Two independent web search results (Euronews and another source) explicitly state that Greece is the only European country where households spend more than they earn.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Net household saving rates vary widely across Europe, with Greece being the only country where households spend more than they earn. Experts point to precautionary reasons and retirement as the domina…
https://www.euronews.com/business/2026/05/26/where-in-europe…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Greece is the only European country where households spend more than they earn, with a net saving rate of -9.3%. Sweden and Hungary lead in household savings, with rates of 14.7%, while the EU average…
https://www.newsminimalist.com/articles/swedish-and-hungaria…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The savings rate is also related to the marginal propensity to save .
https://www.investopedia.com/terms/s/savings-rate.asp
verified
Claim 7: “Spain (9.2%) and Ireland (9%) also remain above the EU average.”
VERIFIED
The rates for Spain (9.2%) and Ireland (9%) are explicitly confirmed by the IndexBox report citing OECD data.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Republic of Ireland and the Kingdom of Spain have maintained historical and current relations. Both states are members of the Council of Europe, the European Union, the Eurozone and the Organisati…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ireland–Spain_relations
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Irish Brigade (Spanish: Brigada Irlandesa, Irish: Briogáid na hÉireann) fought on the Nationalist side of Francisco Franco during the Spanish Civil War. The unit was formed wholly of Roman Catholi…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_Brigade_(Spanish_Civil_W…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Spanish Armada in Ireland refers to the landfall made upon the coast of Ireland in September 1588 of a large portion of the 130-strong fleet sent by Philip II to invade England. Following its defe…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_Armada_in_Ireland
+ 3 more evidence sources
schedule
Claim 8: “hitting its lowest point at -16.5% in 2013”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
schedule
Claim 9: “Charles Yuji Horioka and Luigi Ventura found that the generosity of social safety nets seems to affect the importance of individual saving motives... in their NBER paper published in 2025.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
schedule
Claim 10: “The EU average remained broadly stable over the same period, with a sharp jump to 12.4% in 2020”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
info
Claim 11: “almost two-thirds of Europeans save for precautionary reasons”
SINGLE SOURCE
While one source mentions precautionary reasons and retirement as dominant motives, there is no specific statistical confirmation of 'almost two-thirds' (66%) in the provided evidence. Other sources discuss precautionary savings generally but not with this specific figure.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — An approximation is anything that is intentionally similar but not exactly equal to something else.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Approximation
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Black Europeans of African ancestry, or Afro-Europeans, refers to people in Europe who trace full or partial ancestry to Sub-Saharan Africa.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Europeans
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — European exploration and settlement of Oceania began in the 16th century, starting with the Spanish (Castilian) landings and shipwrecks in the Mariana Islands, east of the Philippines. This was follow…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Europeans_in_Oceania
+ 3 more evidence sources
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Claim 12: “In 2024 or 2025, they range from -9.3% in Greece to 14.7% in Sweden and Hungary, compared with an EU average of 8.1%.”
CORROBORATED
The specific figures for Greece (-9.3%), Sweden and Hungary (14.7%), and the EU average (8.1%) are reported in multiple web search results.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Commission v Hungary (C-769/22) is a judgement of the European Court of Justice (ECJ) delivered in April 2026 concerning an anti-LGBTI law enacted by Hungary. The Court ruled that the law violates the…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commission_v_Hungary_(C-769/22…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The European Union (EU) is a supranational union of 27 member states that are party to the EU's founding treaties, and thereby subject to the privileges and obligations of membership. They have agreed…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Member_state_of_the_European_U…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — This is a list of referendums related to the European Union, or referendums related to the European Communities, which were predecessors of the European Union. Since 1972, a total of 48 referendums ha…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Referendums_related_to_the_Eur…
+ 3 more evidence sources
schedule
Claim 13: “After edging back close to zero in 2021, Greece dropped again to -12.2% in 2022 and has stayed around -9% since.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
info
Claim 14: “retirement is the dominant motive for half of them”
SINGLE SOURCE
One source identifies retirement as a dominant motive, but the specific 'half of them' (50%) figure is not corroborated by other independent sources in the provided evidence.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Retirement age differs in European countries and is a matter of debate across Europe because of an aging population.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retirement_in_Europe
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Mandatory retirement, also known as forced retirement, enforced retirement or compulsory retirement, is the set age at which people who hold certain jobs or offices are required by industry custom or …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandatory_retirement
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Retirement is the withdrawal from one's position or occupation or from one's active working life. A person may also semi-retire by reducing work hours or workload. Many people choose to retire when th…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retirement
+ 3 more evidence sources
info
Claim 15: “In Latvia, the rate is zero”
SINGLE SOURCE
One web search result explicitly states that in Latvia, the rate is zero, but this is not corroborated by a second independent source.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Published as part of the ECB Economic Bulletin, Issue 8/2025. After falling back from its pandemic-related peak, the household saving rate rose again from mid- ...
https://www.ecb.europa.eu/press/economic-bulletin/focus/2026…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Apr 19, 2026 ... Australia ranks #14 for average household net savings. Sweden has the highest savings rate in OECD economies at 16%, more than 3x the U.S. rate.
https://www.facebook.com/michael.yardney/posts/how-much-are-…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — 3 days ago ... In Latvia, the rate is zero — meaning households spend every penny of their income. Slovakia (2%), Estonia (3%), Portugal (3.4%) and Lithuania ( ...
https://finance.yahoo.com/economy/articles/where-europe-hous…
schedule
Claim 16: “the second highest after Romania) even around 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
info
Claim 17: “the UK (4.7%) and Italy (3.2%) post comparatively lower figures.”
SINGLE SOURCE
While the evidence mentions Italy and the UK in the context of household finance, it does not provide the specific net saving rates of 4.7% and 3.2% to verify the claim.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — ... household disposable income, and as easing uncertainty and lower interest rates drive down the saving rate. Adjusted for pension equity, saving falls from ...
https://obr.uk/economic-and-fiscal-outlooks/
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Jun 5, 2025 ... ... rates that prevailed in the first two decades of this century ... the net working-age population increasing by around 250 million over ...
https://thedocs.worldbank.org/en/doc/8bf0b62ec6bcb886d97295a…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Italy and the UK both have relatively high participation rates in these products, which include both public debt and long-term debt issued by banks ...
https://www.nber.org/system/files/working_papers/w22066/w220…
help
Claim 18: “Two Nordic countries also fall below the EU average: Denmark (7.5%) and Finland (4.4%).”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found in the provided search results to confirm the specific saving rates for Denmark (7.5%) and Finland (4.4%).
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.