• According to the 2024 Portuguese Household Finance and Consumption Survey (ISFF), mean net wealth and median net wealth increased by around 29% in real terms compared with 2020, to 298.4 thousand euros and 151.8 thousand euros, respectively. This development was largely driven by the increase in the value of real assets (28.5%, on average), in a context of strong growth in house prices.
• In 2024, median net wealth of households in the bottom 20% of the net wealth distribution stood at 1.7 thousand euros, in contrast with 1,046.7 thousand euros for the top 10%.
• In groups with lower net wealth, such as households where the reference person is unemployed or aged under 35, the proportion of homeowners is lower (around 40%) than for overall households (70.8%).
• In groups with higher net wealth, such as higher-income households and those where the reference person is self-employed or has higher education, other real estate properties (other than the main residence) and self-employment businesses account for a relatively larger share of wealth.
• Financial assets are slightly more concentrated among wealthier households than real assets.
• For most households, the largest share of financial wealth is held in deposits (which include savings and Treasury certificates) (74.6%, for households as a whole), in line with the high-risk aversion reported by households.
• In 2024, 41.6% of households had some type of debt, and among indebted households the median debt value stood at 35.3 thousand euros.
• In 2024, 8% of households faced constraints in access to credit. This share reached almost 20% among households with lower net wealth, younger households, or households where the reference person was unemployed.
• Compared with the past, in 2024 the percentage of households with a high level of indebtedness is lower. This more favourable situation reflects the debt reduction, the increase in income and of the asset values.
