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Pensions and household savings: cross-country heterogeneity in Europe

Author

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  • Roger, Muriel
  • Savignac, Frédérique
  • d’Addio, Anna

Abstract

We address the question of whether the heterogeneity in savings is partly due to differences in pension wealth across individuals and across countries, using a European harmonised wealth survey (HFCS) combined with estimates of pension wealth (OECD). First, we find significant displacement effects of mandatory pension wealth on non-pension financial wealth at the mean, and a statistically significant crowd-out estimate on the probability of owning real estate property. Second, there is heterogeneity in the mean savings offset depending on age, risk attitudes and country. Third, the offset follows different patterns along the non-pension wealth distribution across countries. JEL Classification: D31, D91, H55

Suggested Citation

  • Roger, Muriel & Savignac, Frédérique & d’Addio, Anna, 2020. "Pensions and household savings: cross-country heterogeneity in Europe," Working Paper Series 2372, European Central Bank.
    • Handle: RePEc:ecb:ecbwps:20202372
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    Cited by:

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    2. Barr, Nicholas, 2021. "Pension design and the failed economics of squirrels," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 111927, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    3. Melanie Koch & Thomas Scheiber, 2022. "Household savings in CESEE: expectations, experiences and common predictors," Focus on European Economic Integration, Oesterreichische Nationalbank (Austrian Central Bank), issue Q1/22, pages 29-54.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    life cycle; pensions; social security; wealth;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D31 - Microeconomics - - Distribution - - - Personal Income and Wealth Distribution
    • D91 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making
    • H55 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - Social Security and Public Pensions

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