Households' wealth composition across OECD countries and financial risks borne by households

Abstract

The first section of this article presents a combined analysis of households’ financial and non-financial balance sheets across OECD countries over the period 1995-2006, based on two OECD data collections – financial balance sheet accounts and households’ financial and non-financial assets. The scope of the study mainly covers households’ gross wealth (financial, dwellings and land) and therefore does not include debt. The second section, based on the OECD households’ financial and non-financial assets database, analyses financial risks borne by households investing their savings either in investment fund shares, in life insurance reserves or in pension schemes, and how these allocations have changed and developed over time in various OECD countries.