Average net worth by age in Italy

Median & mean net wealth by age

Source: ECB Household Finance and Consumption Survey, Wave 2023 (net wealth by age of the reference person, Italy). USD indicative at €1 ≈ $1.08. Last updated: August 2026.

Why Italian median wealth leads the big euro-area economies

Net wealth is hump-shaped over the life cycle — it climbs from €53,500 for under-35s to a peak of €206,400 for 55–64s, then eases in retirement. But two things make Italy stand out. First, one of the highest homeownership rates in the euro area lifts the median well above its neighbours, because a home is the largest wealth-building asset for most households. Second, wealth is passed within families and mortgage debt is low, so the typical household sits closer to the average than elsewhere: the mean (€307,300) is about 1.9× the median, against roughly 2.2× in France and 3.1× in Germany. That still makes Italy the least concentrated of the big four — but the margin narrowed sharply between survey waves. On Wave 2021 figures the ratio was about 1.3× and Italy looked like a genuine outlier; on Wave 2023 it is simply at the low end of a normal range, so treat the older "unusually evenly spread" framing as out of date.

Frequently asked questions

What is the average net worth by age in Italy?

Median household net wealth by age of the reference person (ECB HFCS Wave 2023): 16–34 €53,500; 35–44 €127,500; 45–54 €159,000; 55–64 €206,400; 65–74 €193,500; 75+ €152,500. Net wealth peaks in the 55–64 band, and even the youngest households start high by euro-area standards.

What is the median net worth in Italy?

The overall median Italian household net wealth is €162,800 (ECB HFCS Wave 2023) — the highest of the large euro-area economies, well above the euro-area median of €140,100. The mean is €307,300, about 1.9× the median — the narrowest mean-to-median gap of the big four, but a normal one. On the previous survey wave that ratio was roughly 1.3×, so descriptions of Italian wealth as unusually evenly spread reflect Wave 2021, not the current data.

Why is Italy's median net worth the highest of the big euro-area economies?

Homeownership is the main driver. Italy has one of the highest ownership rates in the euro area, and a primary residence is the biggest wealth-building asset for most households, which lifts the median. Low mortgage debt and wealth passed within families reinforce it. Italy also still has the narrowest gap between the typical household and the average of the big four — the mean is about 1.9× the median, against 2.2× in France and 3.1× in Germany — but that gap is much wider than it looked on the previous survey wave, where the ratio was roughly 1.3×. On Wave 2023 figures Italy is no longer the unusually even distribution it once appeared to be; it is simply the least concentrated of the four.

Median or mean — which should I use?

The median (€162,800) is the better benchmark for a "typical" Italian household; half hold less. The mean (€307,300) is about 1.9× the median, the usual sign that wealth is concentrated toward the top. Note this corrects a claim that held in the previous survey wave: on Wave 2021 figures Italy's mean sat only modestly above its median and Italy looked like an unusually even distribution, but Wave 2023 puts the gap in normal territory — narrower than Germany's 3.1× but close to France's 2.2×.