At the start of 2025, just over four out of ten households surveyed in the Monthly Consumer Confidence Survey (CAMME) said they were putting money aside, six percentage points more than before the health crisis. It is more particularly among the wealthiest and oldest households that this proportion has risen sharply compared with the average for the pre-Covid period. More than half of savers said they were putting money aside to protect themselves in case times get hard. This precautionary saving is more common among the least well-off households and decreases as households move up the standard of living scale. Conversely, saving for a major purchase (including property), retirement or a career change is more common among the wealthiest households. Lastly, for more than 10% of savers, whatever their standard of living, the main reason they save is to pass on their wealth to loved ones or to help them. The reasons for saving also vary by age category: savers over 64 are primarily driven by precautionary and inheritance considerations, while those under 35 save for future purchases.

Seven out of ten households say they limit their consumption, a proportion that decreases as you move up the standard of living scale and is highest among younger people. A third of households limit their consumption because of budgetary constraints, especially among the least well-off. A fifth do so to save money, and around 10% to protect the environment, which is more common among the wealthiest, young and urban households...