Record wealth: financial assets of private households at their highest level

Record wealth: financial assets of private households at their highest level

The financial assets of private households in Germany reached a record value of around 7,716 billion euros last year. This increase was made possible by price gains on the stock markets and higher savings interest rates. At the end of 2023, financial assets increased by 250 billion euros compared to the third quarter due to share price gains and higher-interest deposits with banks and savings banks. Overall, financial assets increased by 6.6 percent.

The Deutsche Bundesbank announced that valuation gains from listed stocks, shares in investment funds as well as insurance and pension claims totaled 184 billion euros in the fourth quarter. The largest part of private households' financial assets continues to consist of cash and deposits in banks and savings banks, such as overnight and fixed-term deposits. This area totaled 3,214 billion euros at the end of 2023.

After deducting debts, the net financial assets of private households rose by 244 billion euros to 5,560 billion euros in the fourth quarter compared to the previous quarter. The Bundesbank takes into account cash, bank deposits, securities such as stocks and funds as well as insurance claims. The exact distribution of the gigantic sum in relation to the various asset components is not clear from the data because real estate is not taken into account.