But the financial prospects of young adults in Europe are very different; a new study reveals that the availability of family support and home ownership and the affordability of housing all strongly affect the wealth of people aged 16 to 34.
According to data from the European Central Bank’s Household Finance and Consumption Survey (HFCS), released in mid-2026, the median net wealth of the euro area’s youth (aged 16 to 34) is €24,600. That is just 18% of the median household wealth of all households in €140,100, and is a good summary of the financial difficulties that younger generations face as they enter the world of work.
There were significant differences in the responses from the 22 European countries surveyed. At the top of the table, with a young adult net wealth median of €257,500 was Malta, followed by Luxembourg (€135,000). Belgium came in third with around €97,200 and Croatia had a score of €82,000 despite relatively low average earnings.
Other countries with a comparatively high level of wealth enjoyed by younger households were Slovakia (€74,600), Estonia (€62,200), Czechia (€59,900) and Lithuania (€59,600).
On the opposite side of the spectrum, Finland was next with the lowest median net wealth at €5,700, and Greece at €9,900. This was followed by Austria at €13,400, Latvia €16,900 and Germany €17,600, the fifth lowest in the countries surveyed.
Italy’s net wealth of people aged between 16 and 34 was the highest of the four largest economies in Europe with a median of €53,500. France was next with €27,700 with Spain coming in at €23,700. The figures reveal that young Italians have about three times that of young Germans.
The disparities in wealth among younger adults say more than just how much they save, said Professor Fabian Pfeffer of LMU Munich, who is founding director of the Munich International Stone Center for Inequality Research. In this age group, he said, people likely do not have a lot of their own assets accumulated in jobs and careers, so it seems the amount of wealth they have is probably more a reflection of their families.
Pfeffer said that young adults often start building wealth once they have bought their first home. When buying property, however, stable employment, affordable housing and even financial help from family members are all important.
Parents can make a huge difference by contributing to down payments, transferring property or offering financial security, which can lead to some young adults building wealth much sooner than others, he said.
The report also described how general institutional issues, such as housing markets and mortgage availability as well as inheritance and government policies are affecting the situation. Wealth inequality starts early in life, well before inheritances are passed down later, Pfeffer says. Rather, it is more likely to manifest itself as young people leave home, go to college, begin working or try to buy their first house.
The results reflect increasing concerns of the effects of increasing costs of housing and unequal access to financial support, as it appears to be increasingly difficult for many young Europeans to establish long-term financial security despite entering the job market.
