Greek Households 2nd-Worse in Savings, Real Incomes Fall in EU

Greek household savings recorded the second-highest negative rate in the European Union in the first quarter of 2026, drawing down reserves even as real incomes fell and consumption rose, according to preliminary Eurostat data published Thursday.

Greek household savings declined by 3.7% compared with the final quarter of 2025, the second-worst performance in the bloc after Romania, which posted a negative savings rate of 5.3 percentage points. When adjusted for inflation, Greece recorded the steepest drop in real disposable household income in the EU, falling 3.65 %, ahead of Romania at 3.1%.

Despite shrinking real incomes, Greek households increased personal spending by 1.2% quarter-on-quarter, a divergence that economists say points to households funding consumption through savings, borrowing, or income from the informal economy.