According to the European statistics service, the household saving rate accelerated, in the first three months of the year, to 21.5 percent, the second highest value in the time series, started in 1999 (after a peak of 25,0 percent in the second quarter of 2020), which compares with 16.8 percent year-on-year and 19.5 percent in the previous quarter.

Eurostat attributes this increase to the decrease in household consumption (-1.2 percent), while the gross disposable income of households increased (1.4 percent), compared to the last three months of 2020.

At the same time, the investment rate of households in the euro area increased to 9.2 percent in the first quarter of 2021, the highest value since 2011, compared to 8.8 percent in the same period and 9.1 percent in the previous period.

The chain increase in the household investment rate is due to the 2.0 percent rise in gross fixed capital formation, with gross disposable income also accelerating, but at a slower pace (1.4 percent).

With regard to companies, the profit margin increased, between January and March, to 41.2 percent (38.3 percent in the same quarter and 40.8 percent in the previous one).

The business investment rate was 23.9 percent in the euro zone, down from 25.1 percent in the first quarter of 2020, but above the 23.4 percent registered between October and December.