Gross disposable income of households recorded a significant drop in the first quarter of 2026, compared to the previous quarter, while a large decline was recorded both in household savings and investments, as well as in fixed capital formation, at least compared to the European Union member-states for which data is available.
At the same time, consumer spending increased and by a greater percentage compared to both the average in the eurozone and the EU.
What does all of the above translate to? With their income falling, possibly also due to the inflationary pressures that have become evident since March, households in Greece are reducing their investments and savings. On the other hand, an increase in consumer spending probably means they are “eating into their savings,” and it is also associated with rising prices.
The gross disposable income of Greek households decreased in January-March by 2.5% compared to the previous quarter. In the eurozone at the same time it increased by 0.7%, and in the European Union by 0.9%.
Among the member-states for which data is published, the household savings rate increased in seven states and decreased in nine. The largest increase was recorded in Hungary (3.4 percentage points). The largest decrease was observed in Romania (5.3 percentage points), Greece (3.7 percentage points) and Austria (2.5 percentage points).
