{
  "id": 7471128,
  "title": "Trillions sitting idle: Here's how much money Europeans are losing on savings",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/15/trillions-sitting-idle-heres-how-much-money-europeans-are-losing-on-7471128",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-09-15T04:01:34.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Euronews Business",
    "slug": "euronews-business",
    "url": "https://www.euronews.com/business/2026/09/15/trillions-sitting-idle-heres-how-much-money-europeans-are-losing-on-savings"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Revolut's European Wealth Drain Index reveals that European households are losing trillions in potential growth by keeping their savings in cash rather than investing. The index, which surveyed 20,007 adults across 20 European countries, found that in 12 markets, one-year deposit rates fail to keep pace with inflation. On average, deposits pay 2.76% while inflation stands at 2.94%, meaning savers are losing ground in real terms.\n\nThe opportunity cost of staying in cash is substantial. Revolut estimates that households forgo an average of €638 per €10,000 each year by keeping their money in savings accounts. This amounts to €422 billion in growth capital not reaching European businesses annually.\n\nSeveral factors contribute to this inertia among savers. Two-thirds of respondents have never switched banks for a better rate, with 26% satisfied with their current bank and 18% believing the difference is negligible. Additionally, 15% are unsure where to look for better options. Moreover, nearly half of those surveyed misjudge their inflation-adjusted returns, and 19% are unaware that inflation affects their cash savings.\n\nThe Revolut head of wealth and trading, Rolandas Juteika, argues that better products alone may not be enough to overcome this inertia. Instead, he suggests that simpler access to investment products could empower consumers to act. With the median first-time EU investment at just €18, Juteika believes that lowering the barrier to entry can naturally encourage participation.\n\nWhen it comes to investing, perceived risk (29%) and a lack of knowledge (27%) are the main barriers identified in the survey. Juteika asserts that folding banking, savings, and investing into a single app could alleviate fragmentation and make it easier for consumers to act.\n\nThe European Commission has also recognized the issue of idle deposits as a problem affecting competitiveness rather than personal finance. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen emphasized the need to put Europe's savings to work for its companies, noting that €10 trillion in household savings are currently sitting idle. She proposed the Savings and Investments Union, a strategy aimed at unlocking up to €470 billion in additional investment by 2030 through incentives and plumbing.\n\nWhile Revolut supports this effort, its head of wealth and trading, Rolandas Juteika, sees a missing link in the Commission's approach. He argues that simply moving the money around without addressing the underlying barriers to entry may not be enough to stimulate investment in European businesses.",
  "summary": "Europeans are losing an average of €294 in purchasing power for every €10,000 they keep in the bank, according to a study from Revolut, which found €6.3 trillion sitting in low-yield deposits across 20 EU countries at a moment when Brussels is trying to push that money into capital markets.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Euronews",
        "title": "Trillions sitting idle: Here's how much money Europeans are losing on savings",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/15/trillions-sitting-idle-heres-how-much-money-europeans-are-losing-on",
        "published": "2026-09-15T04:01:34.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}