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How Do Households Allocate Their Assets? Stylized Facts from the Eurosystem Household Finance and Consumption Survey

Author

Listed:
  • Luc Arrondel

    (PSE - Paris-Jourdan Sciences Economiques - ENS-PSL - École normale supérieure - Paris - PSL - Université Paris sciences et lettres - INRA - Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique - EHESS - École des hautes études en sciences sociales - ENPC - École des Ponts ParisTech - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, PSE - Paris School of Economics - UP1 - Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne - ENS-PSL - École normale supérieure - Paris - PSL - Université Paris sciences et lettres - EHESS - École des hautes études en sciences sociales - ENPC - École des Ponts ParisTech - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement)

  • Laura Bartiloro

    (BI - Banca d´Italia)

  • Pirmin Fessler

    (Oesterreichische Nationalbank)

  • Peter Lindner

    (BI - Banca d´Italia)

  • Thomas Y. Mathä

    (Banque centrale du Luxembourg - Banque centrale du Luxembourg)

  • Cristiana Rampazzi

    (BI - Banca d´Italia)

  • Frédérique Savignac

    (Banque de france - Banque de France)

  • Tobias Schmidt

    (Institut für Mathematik [Berlin] - TU - Technical University of Berlin / Technische Universität Berlin)

  • Martin Schurz

    (Oesterreichische Nationalbank)

  • Philip Vermeulen

    (ECB - European Central Bank - European Central Bank)

Abstract

Using the first wave of the Eurosystem Household Finance and Consumption Survey (HFCS), a large micro-level data set on households' balance sheets in fifteen euro-area countries, this paper explores how households allocate their assets. We derive stylized facts on asset participation as well as the portfolio shares of asset holdings and investigate the systematic relationships between household characteristics and asset holding patterns. Real assets make up the bulk of total assets. Whereas ownership of the main residence varies strongly between countries, the value of the main residence tends to be the major asset for homeowners and represents a signif- icant part of total assets in all countries. While almost all households hold safe financial assets, a low share of households holds risky assets. The ownership rates of all asset categories generally increase with wealth (and income). The significance of inheritances for homeownership and holding of other real estate is remarkable. We tentatively link differences in asset holding patterns across countries to differences in institutions.

Suggested Citation

  • Luc Arrondel & Laura Bartiloro & Pirmin Fessler & Peter Lindner & Thomas Y. Mathä & Cristiana Rampazzi & Frédérique Savignac & Tobias Schmidt & Martin Schurz & Philip Vermeulen, 2016. "How Do Households Allocate Their Assets? Stylized Facts from the Eurosystem Household Finance and Consumption Survey," Post-Print halshs-01379262, HAL.
  • Handle: RePEc:hal:journl:halshs-01379262
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Household; Distribution;

    JEL classification:

    • D1 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior
    • D3 - Microeconomics - - Distribution

    Statistics

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