Czech Republic's Financial Position Improves Again in EU Comparison

The Czech Republic continues to climb in the European Prosperity and Financial Health Index. The country's strong household savings rate is the main driver of the improvement, although weaknesses remain in energy costs, investment and financial equality.

The Czech Republic has improved further in the latest Prosperity and Financial Health Index and now ranks seventh among EU member states. The country's best result to date is primarily due to the high savings rate of Czech households. At the same time, shortcomings remain in energy costs, household investment and financial equality between women and men.

Since the first edition of the index in 2022, the Czech Republic has improved steadily. At that time, the country ranked 13th. Despite still recording above-average spending on energy and a comparatively low share of household wealth invested by European standards, both areas have shown slight improvement.

According to analyst Tereza Hrtúsová of Česká spořitelna, Czech households held deposits of around CZK 3.3 trillion in instant-access bank accounts at the end of May 2026. Almost half of this amount – 46 per cent – was held in current accounts.

Source: Grafik: Index prosperity Česka

At the same time, interest in investing continues to grow. According to data from the Czech Capital Market Association, 46 per cent of Czechs now describe themselves as investors, while a further 27 per cent are actively considering investing. The share of people who fundamentally reject investing is declining. This is regarded as an indication of improving financial literacy and a greater willingness to invest savings profitably.

Financial equality between women and men, however, developed less positively. In the relevant section of the Gender Equality Index (GEI), the Czech Republic fell from 15th to 18th place. However, the report notes that changes to the assessment methodology may also have influenced the result.

The Czech Republic continues to perform particularly poorly in the area of political, social and economic power distribution between the sexes. In this category, the country ranks among the weakest performers in the European Union. The unequal position of women and men in the labour market therefore remains one of the country's long-term challenges.

High Savings Rate Strengthens the Czech Republic's Financial Position

The Czech Republic owes its seventh place in the EU comparison above all to the strong saving habits of its population. According to the analysts, the country records the highest level of savings relative to income in the entire European Union. Czech households save more than one-fifth of their income, placing them well ahead of other EU countries. In countries such as Greece and Bulgaria, by contrast, expenditure even exceeds income, while Slovakia also records significantly lower savings rates.

Denmark Replaces the Netherlands at the Top

In the European comparison, Denmark ranks first in the Prosperity and Financial Health Index for the first time, replacing the Netherlands at the top. Sweden and the Netherlands follow in second and third place. The leading countries are characterised by high levels of investment, substantial financial assets, low levels of material deprivation and comparatively high savings. At the same time, however, they also have some of the highest levels of household debt in the EU. Experts attribute this primarily to high rates of home ownership and the widespread use of mortgages. Although around three-quarters of households in the Czech Republic own their homes, only around one in five finances their property through a mortgage.