FRANKFURT (Reuters) -Euro zone households increased their savings further in the second quarter, confounding expectations that historically high rates would reverse and unleash private consumption to support growth when exports struggle, data from Eurostat showed.

The household savings rate rose to 15.4% in the second quarter from 15.2% three months earlier, Eurostat said on Tuesday, and stands well above the 12% to 13% range recorded in the pre-pandemic years.

Households’ investment rate, however, has stopped falling and stood at 9% for the past year, the data showed.

Households have been saving more of their income, rebuilding wealth lost to the post-pandemic inflation surge, and building buffers due to the persistent flow of negative news from tariffs to weak competitiveness and luke

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