Europe’s wealth gap: Older households eight times richer than young ones

Student protests that began in France in September have spread to more than 11 European countries amid anger over rising rents and fuel prices and cuts to public services. The European Central Bank’s 2023 Household Finance and Consumption Survey puts median net wealth at about 25,000 euros for households headed by someone under 35, compared with 208,000 euros for those headed by someone aged 55 to 64. Across the 22 countries surveyed, under-35s hold 2.8 percent of household wealth, while 55- to 64-year-olds hold the largest share, at 24 percent. Finland has the smallest young people’s share, at 0.8 percent, while people over 55 hold more than 71 percent of household wealth there.