Household distributional accounts, 2019–2021
Small changes in the distribution of consumption, income and wealth in 2021 compared to the previous two years
In 2021 and 2020, households of higher income quintiles saved a larger share of disposable income than in 2019. Households of lower income quintiles borrowed less in 2020, and in 2021 about the same as in 2019.
Measuring inequality of income, consumption, savings and wealth between hosueholds
Distributional national accounts measure inequalities in income, consumption, savings and wealth within the household sector. We publish the results for three reference years: 2019, 2020 and 2021. Inequality was measured using two inequality indicators, namely the ratio of an individual income quintile class to the average for all households, and the ratio of the highest to the lowest income quintile.
In 2021, the savings rate of the fifth of income-richest households was 39%
Compared to 2019, when the richest households saved 32% of their disposable income, in 2020 and 2021 this share rose to 44% and 39%, respectively. The increased share of disposable income saved was a reflection of lockdown and greater caution due to the uncertain future. On the other hand, the income-poorest group of households borrowed less in 2020 for the same reasons, but already in 2021 they reached the same level of indebtedness as in 2019. In 2021, approximately 40% of households with the lowest disposable income borrowed.
Income distribution did not change significantly in 2021 compared to 2019 and 2020
As regards the distribution of household disposable income by income quintiles, no major changes were recorded in the observed years. The same applies to the distribution of adjusted disposable income. In addition to the disposable income, adjusted disposable income includes social transfers in kind (health and dental care, hospital accommodation, medical and orthopedic appliances, educational, recreational, cultural and sports services). In 2021, the income-poorest fifth of households had an income that reached about 58% of the average for all households, while the income-richest fifth of households had an income that reached 151% of the average. A similar picture is revealed by the maximum-minimum indicator (i.e. ratio between the richest fifth and the poorest fifth of the households), which from 2019 to 2020 or 2021 reduced from 2.7 to 2.6.
In 2021, the income-poorest households spent 83% of the average for all households
The actual final consumption of households includes, in addition to household final consumption expenditure, the consumption of the above mentioned social transfers in kind. In 2021, the 20% of households with the lowest income spent 83% of the average for all households, which is less than the year before (87%). On the other hand, the fifth of the income-richest households spent 114% of the average, which is almost the same as the year before (113%) and less than in 2019 (123%).
In 2021, about 60% of all households had non-financial assets below the average
In 2020 and 2021, there were no major changes in the distribution of non-financial household assets (i.e. value of housing, non-residential buildings, agricultural and forest land minus loans) by income quintiles compared to 2019. The distribution of wealth is a reflection of the distribution of income, consumption and consequently household saving. For the entire 2019–2021 period, about 60% of households had lower property in the form of real estate, than the average for all households.. The income-poorest fifth had property that reached between 52% and 55% of the average for all households, while the income-richest fifth exceeded the average by between 55% and 58%.
Compared to some other EU-27 Member States, the income distribution is similar
This area is still under development in most Member States. We only have results available for different reference periods, so comparison is limited. Since the income distribution data, at least for Slovenia, do not differ significantly between years, we still consider it worth comparing. As the data show, there are no big differences in the distribution of income between the observed countries. The income-poorest fifth of households had about 10% of the total disposable income, while the richest fifth had slightly more than 30%.
Tables with the latest data are available in the SiStat Database.
Distributional national accounts measure inequalities in income, consumption, savings and wealth within the household sector. We publish the results for three reference years: 2019, 2020 and 2021. Inequality was measured using two inequality indicators, namely the ratio of an individual income quintile class to the average for all households, and the ratio of the highest to the lowest income quintile.
In 2021, the savings rate of the fifth of income-richest households was 39%
Compared to 2019, when the richest households saved 32% of their disposable income, in 2020 and 2021 this share rose to 44% and 39%, respectively. The increased share of disposable income saved was a reflection of lockdown and greater caution due to the uncertain future. On the other hand, the income-poorest group of households borrowed less in 2020 for the same reasons, but already in 2021 they reached the same level of indebtedness as in 2019. In 2021, approximately 40% of households with the lowest disposable income borrowed.
Income distribution did not change significantly in 2021 compared to 2019 and 2020
As regards the distribution of household disposable income by income quintiles, no major changes were recorded in the observed years. The same applies to the distribution of adjusted disposable income. In addition to the disposable income, adjusted disposable income includes social transfers in kind (health and dental care, hospital accommodation, medical and orthopedic appliances, educational, recreational, cultural and sports services). In 2021, the income-poorest fifth of households had an income that reached about 58% of the average for all households, while the income-richest fifth of households had an income that reached 151% of the average. A similar picture is revealed by the maximum-minimum indicator (i.e. ratio between the richest fifth and the poorest fifth of the households), which from 2019 to 2020 or 2021 reduced from 2.7 to 2.6.
In 2021, the income-poorest households spent 83% of the average for all households
The actual final consumption of households includes, in addition to household final consumption expenditure, the consumption of the above mentioned social transfers in kind. In 2021, the 20% of households with the lowest income spent 83% of the average for all households, which is less than the year before (87%). On the other hand, the fifth of the income-richest households spent 114% of the average, which is almost the same as the year before (113%) and less than in 2019 (123%).
In 2021, about 60% of all households had non-financial assets below the average
In 2020 and 2021, there were no major changes in the distribution of non-financial household assets (i.e. value of housing, non-residential buildings, agricultural and forest land minus loans) by income quintiles compared to 2019. The distribution of wealth is a reflection of the distribution of income, consumption and consequently household saving. For the entire 2019–2021 period, about 60% of households had lower property in the form of real estate, than the average for all households.. The income-poorest fifth had property that reached between 52% and 55% of the average for all households, while the income-richest fifth exceeded the average by between 55% and 58%.
Compared to some other EU-27 Member States, the income distribution is similar
This area is still under development in most Member States. We only have results available for different reference periods, so comparison is limited. Since the income distribution data, at least for Slovenia, do not differ significantly between years, we still consider it worth comparing. As the data show, there are no big differences in the distribution of income between the observed countries. The income-poorest fifth of households had about 10% of the total disposable income, while the richest fifth had slightly more than 30%.
Tables with the latest data are available in the SiStat Database.
METHODOLOGICAL NOTE
Published results of the survey refer to the population of private households. This means that people in homes for the elderly and people in prisons who belong to institutional households are excluded, which is in line with OECD recommendations.
The survey will be conducted annually from 2024 on. This time we are publishing the results for the three reference years: 2019, 2020 and 2021.
The Household Budget Survey (HBS) and the Household Finance and Consumption Survey (HFCS) are not conducted every year. Thus, for the distribution of consumption for this release, we used HBS data from 2018 and 2022, and for the distribution of liabilities from real estate (housing loans), we used HFCS data from 2017 and 2021.
Additional explanations are available in the methodological explanations.
The survey will be conducted annually from 2024 on. This time we are publishing the results for the three reference years: 2019, 2020 and 2021.
The Household Budget Survey (HBS) and the Household Finance and Consumption Survey (HFCS) are not conducted every year. Thus, for the distribution of consumption for this release, we used HBS data from 2018 and 2022, and for the distribution of liabilities from real estate (housing loans), we used HFCS data from 2017 and 2021.
Additional explanations are available in the methodological explanations.
When making use of the data and information of the Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia, always add: "Source: SURS". More: Copyright.
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