Savings by Belgian households went up in the second quarter of 2024, according to figures published on Tuesday by the National Bank of Belgium (NBB). However, their investment rate fell.
The household savings rate stood at 14.8% in the second quarter. Disposable income continued to rise (+2%), while final consumption expenditure remained fairly stable (+0.1%), pushing up the savings rate.
During this period, the household investment rate stood at 8.5%, compared with 8.7% in the previous quarter.
Non-financial companies saw their profit margins fall to 41.9%, compared with 42.1% in the first quarter. Their investment rate stood at 28.4% of value, as against 27% in the first quarter.
Finally, the public administration deficit widened in the second quarter. It was 5% of GDP in April-June 2024, compared with 3.2% in the previous quarter.
