Household Net Wealth: An International Comparison

Iris Claus () and Grant Scobie

No 01/19, Treasury Working Paper Series from New Zealand Treasury

Abstract: Household saving can be measured as either the difference between the flows of current income and expenditure, or through households’ balance sheets as changes in the stocks of accumulated net wealth. This paper examines household saving in New Zealand and other OECD countries, with particular focus on the stock of net wealth. The ratio of real assets to disposable income in New Zealand is close to OECD levels. However, household financial net wealth as a proportion of disposable income has been falling in New Zealand since the late 1980s, whereas it has been rising in other OECD countries. As a result, housing assets in New Zealand have become an increasing share of households' wealth portfolios. The implied savings rate from households’ balance sheets is significantly higher than the flow measure. Moreover, it follows the business cycle more closely, consistent with consumption smoothing behaviour by households.

Keywords: Household net wealth; saving; financial deregulation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: E21 N20 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 31 pages
Date: 2001
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (9)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:nzt:nztwps:01/19

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