Euro area economic and financial developments by institutional sector: fourth quarter of 2020

• Euro area net saving decreased to €508 billion in four quarters to fourth quarter of 2020, from €549 billion one quarter earlier
• Household debt-to-income ratio increased to 96.3% in fourth quarter of 2020 from 93.8% one year earlier
• Non-financial corporations’ debt-to-GDP ratio (consolidated measure) at 84.0% in fourth quarter of 2020, up from 76.8% one year earlier

Total euro area economy

Euro area net saving decreased to €508 billion (5.6% of euro area net disposable income) in 2020 compared with €549 billion in the four quarters to the previous quarter. Euro area net non-financial investment decreased to €274 billion (3.0% of net disposable income), due to decreased investment by non-financial corporations, and to a lesser extent households, while net investment by financial corporations and government slightly increased.

Euro area net lending to the rest of the world increased to €243 billion (from €225 billion previously) reflecting net non-financial investment declining more than net saving. Net lending of non-financial corporations increased from €62 billion to €134 billion (1.5% of net disposable income), that of financial corporations rose from €84 billion to €109 billion (1.2% of net disposable income) and net lending by households increased from €684 billion to €821 billion (9.1% of net disposable income). The increase in net lending by the total private sector was largely offset by an increase in net borrowing by the government sector (-9.1% of net disposable income, after -6.6% previously).

Households

The annual growth rate of household financial investment increased to 4.1% in the fourth quarter of 2020, from 3.6% in the previous quarter. Investment in currency and deposits as well as in life insurance and pension schemes were the main contributors to this acceleration, while investment in shares and other equity grew at a broadly unchanged rate.

Households were net buyers of listed shares issued by all resident sectors and the rest of the world. Net purchases of listed shares issued by non-financial corporations grew at a broadly unchanged rate (5.6%), while net purchases of listed shares issued by the rest of the world accelerated (18.3% from 13.6% previously). Households continued to sell debt securities (in net terms) issued by all resident sectors and the rest of the world (see Table 1 below and Table 2.2. in the Annex).

Chart 2 below shows the stock of selected financial assets held by households (in dark blue) vis-à-vis counterpart sectors.[1] At the end of 2020, households’ financial assets with a counterpart sector breakdown were mostly liabilities of financial intermediaries such as MFIs (38% of households’ financial assets), insurance corporations (27%), pension funds (13%) and investment funds (12%). Direct holdings of financial assets issued by non-financial corporations (6%), government (1%) and the rest of the world (2%), e.g. in the form of listed shares and debt securities, represented much lower proportions of households’ financial assets.

The household debt-to-income ratio[2] increased to 96.3% in the fourth quarter of 2020 from 93.8% in the fourth quarter of 2019, as disposable income grew slower than the outstanding amount of loans to households. The household debt-to-GDP ratio rose to 62.7% in the fourth quarter of 2020 from 57.8% in the fourth quarter of 2019 (see Chart 3), as debt increased and GDP declined.

Non-financial corporations

In the fourth quarter of 2020, the annual growth of financing of non-financial corporations stood at an unchanged rate of 1.9% compared with the previous quarter. Financing by loans from financial corporations other than MFIs accelerated, while financing by intercompany loans, debt securities, shares and other equity decelerated. Loans from MFIs remained broadly unchanged. Trade credits declined, though at a lower rate (see Table 2 below and Table 3.2 in the Annex).

Non-financial corporations’ debt-to-GDP ratio (consolidated measure) increased to 84.0% in the fourth quarter of 2020, from 76.8% in the fourth quarter of 2019; the non-consolidated, wider debt measure increased to 147.6% from 136.8% (see Chart 3). The increases in these ratios were due to an increase in the debt of NFCs and a decline in GDP over this period.

ecb.europa.eu