Structure of households’ financial wealth in Europe and the United States (1995-1999)

Abstract

In Europe as well as in the United States, a rapid increase of households’ wealth occurred throughout the 1995 to 1999 period. Important capital gains, resulting both from the end of the real estate crisis, on the property market, and from positive stock markets developments, added up to relatively high savings in Europe and markedly lower savings in the United States. The breakdown of wealth shows similar developments in Europe and in the United States. In both cases, a decrease of bank deposits and government assets, an increase of direct holdings of financial assets and investment funds, a rise of households’ claims on life insurance and pension funds may be observed. Bank intermediation, however, appears to remain more important in Europe than the United States. JEL classifications : E20, M41