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Risk Attitudes and Investment Decisions across European Countries: Are Women More Conservative Investors than Men?

Author

Listed:
  • Oleg Badunenko
  • Nataliya Barasinska
  • Dorothea Schäfer

Abstract

This study questions the popular stereotype that women are more risk averse than men in their financial investment decisions. The analysis is based on micro-level data from large-scale surveys of private households in five European countries. In our analysis of investment decisions, we directly account for individuals' self-perceived willingness to take financial risks. The empirical evidence we provide only weakly supports the gender differences argument. We find that women are less likely to invest in risky financial assets. However, when the probability of investing is controlled for, males and females are found to allocate equal shares of their wealth to risky assets.

Suggested Citation

  • Oleg Badunenko & Nataliya Barasinska & Dorothea Schäfer, 2009. "Risk Attitudes and Investment Decisions across European Countries: Are Women More Conservative Investors than Men?," Discussion Papers of DIW Berlin 928, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research.
    • Handle: RePEc:diw:diwwpp:dp928
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    Cited by:

    1. Croy, Gerry & Gerrans, Paul & Speelman, Craig, 2010. "The role and relevance of domain knowledge, perceptions of planning importance, and risk tolerance in predicting savings intentions," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 31(6), pages 860-871, December.
    2. Dowling, Michael & Aribi, Zakaria Ali, 2013. "Female directors and UK company acquisitiveness," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 29(C), pages 79-86.
    3. Raheel Mumtaz & Muhammad Farooq Rehan & Quaisar Ijaz Khan & Rubab Zaidi, 2021. "Board Gender Diversity, Firm Performance and Risk-Taking: The Case of Non-Financial Firms of Pakistan," iRASD Journal of Economics, International Research Alliance for Sustainable Development (iRASD), vol. 3(3), pages 354-367, December.
    4. Chris Brooks & Louis Williams, 2024. "People are people: A comparative analysis of risk attitudes across Europe," International Journal of Finance & Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 29(3), pages 3545-3566, July.
    5. Tânia Saraiva & Tiago Cruz Gonçalves, 2022. "Should I Play or Should I Go? Individuals’ Characteristics and Preference for Uncertainty," Games, MDPI, vol. 13(2), pages 1-14, April.
    6. Abdelkrim Araar & Yesuf Mohammednur Awel & Jonse Bane Boka & Hiywot Menker & Ajebush Shafi & Eleni Abraham Yitbarek & Mulatu Zerihun, 2019. "Entrepreneurs’ Attitudes Toward Risk in Micro and Small Enterprises: Evidence from Urban Ethiopia," Working Papers PMMA 2019-05, PEP-PMMA.
    7. Wolfgang Breuer & Michael Riesener & Astrid Juliane Salzmann, 2014. "Risk aversion vs. individualism: what drives risk taking in household finance?," The European Journal of Finance, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 20(5), pages 446-462, May.
    8. repec:osf:osfxxx:s6cnr_v1 is not listed on IDEAS
    9. Zaheer Kainat & Mumtaz Tahir & Fatima Tayyba & Kamran Muhammad & Alharthi Majed, 2025. "Perceived Risk & Intention to Invest Through Online Real Estate Sites," Real Estate Management and Valuation, Sciendo, vol. 33(2), pages 55-68.

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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • G11 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Portfolio Choice; Investment Decisions
    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination

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