Italian households save heavily but remain wary of investing amid global uncertainty

Intesa Sanpaolo partnered with the Centro Einaudi to survey Italian saving habits in 2026, revealing that 56% of households saved about 12% of their earnings. The primary motives were precaution (40%) and long-term goals such as pensions and home ownership (each 19%). Investment-oriented saving rose modestly to 6%, but a strong aversion to risk hampers the flow of savings into the market.

Younger adults, especially those aged 18 to 24, displayed the highest caution. The report also highlighted low financial literacy, with only 36% recognizing that a stock fund carries less risk than an individual share, and noted that roughly 72% of investors hold poorly diversified portfolios.