Saver's Atlas

An atlas for building wealth · 18 countries

Your money, mapped.

In every one of the 18 countries we track, the average savings rate is lower than inflation. Pick your country and follow five short chapters — from your cash buffer to choosing a broker to financial freedom.

USUnited StatesSavings 0.37% · inflation 3.7%NLNetherlandsSavings 1.26% · inflation 3.0%
More countries coming soon

The state of savings

Real savings return by country

Average savings rate minus year-over-year inflation, latest month with both figures available.

Malta-0.5%Estonia-0.7%Latvia-1.2%Austria-1.6%Slovakia-1.6%Netherlands-1.7%France-1.9%Croatia-2.2%Finland-2.3%Slovenia-2.4%Germany-2.5%Italy-2.8%Ireland-2.9%Luxembourg-3.0%United States-3.3%Belgium-3.8%Cyprus-5.2%Lithuania-5.2%
CountryAvg. savings rateInflationReal returnMonth
Malta1.93%2.4%-0.47%September 2026soon
Estonia2.36%3.1%-0.74%September 2026soon
Latvia1.81%3.0%-1.19%September 2026soon
Austria2.05%3.6%-1.55%September 2026soon
Slovakia1.39%3.0%-1.61%September 2026soon
Netherlands1.26%3.0%-1.74%September 2026Guide →
France1.55%3.4%-1.85%September 2026soon
Croatia2.11%4.3%-2.19%September 2026soon
Finland0.36%2.7%-2.34%September 2026soon
Slovenia1.33%3.7%-2.37%September 2026soon
Germany0.76%3.3%-2.54%September 2026soon
Italy1.38%4.2%-2.82%September 2026soon
Ireland0.93%3.8%-2.87%September 2026soon
Luxembourg2.16%5.2%-3.04%September 2026soon
United States0.37%3.7%-3.33%September 2026Guide →
Belgium0.74%4.5%-3.76%September 2026soon
Cyprus0.03%5.2%-5.17%September 2026soon
Lithuania0.87%6.1%-5.23%September 2026soon

Sources: ECB MFI interest rate statistics (deposits redeemable at notice ≤3 months, households), Eurostat HICP, FDIC national rates and BLS CPI via FRED. Download the data.

Frequently asked questions

Which country has the best real return on savings?

Of the 18 countries we track, Malta had the highest real savings return in September 2026: -0.47% (savings 1.93%, inflation 2.4%). Lithuania had the lowest: -5.23%.

Do US savings accounts beat inflation?

Not on average. The FDIC national average savings rate was 0.37% in September 2026 while CPI inflation was 3.7%, a real return of -3.33%.

In how many countries do savers lose money to inflation?

In 18 of 18 countries we track, the average savings rate is below inflation.

Where does the data come from?

Central banks and statistics offices: the ECB (MFI interest rates), Eurostat (HICP), the FDIC and BLS via FRED. Updated daily.