Student demonstrations that began in September in France have expanded to over 11 European nations, driven by discontent over rising housing costs, fuel prices, and reductions in public services. Many young protesters express diminished expectations about surpassing their parents’ financial circumstances, a sentiment reflected in household wealth disparities across the continent.
Data from the European Central Bank’s 2023 Household Finance and Consumption Survey reveals significant generational wealth gaps across the eurozone, Czech Republic, and Hungary. Households headed by individuals under 35 have a median net wealth of approximately 25,000 euros, while those headed by persons aged 55 to 64 hold around 208,000 euros—more than eight times higher. Young adults under 35 collectively hold just 2.8 percent of total household wealth across 22 surveyed countries, whereas the 55-to-64 age group commands the largest share at 24 percent.
Wealth distribution varies considerably by country. In Finland, those under 35 account for only 0.8 percent of household wealth, the lowest proportion recorded, while over-55s control more than 71 percent. Similar disparities appear in Ireland, Austria, Greece, and Germany. Central and Eastern European nations show comparatively more balanced distributions, with Lithuania, Croatia, Slovakia, and Estonia displaying more equitable generational wealth shares.
Housing affordability emerges as a central challenge for younger generations. Rising costs in both rental and ownership markets have prevented many young people from achieving the housing security their parents experienced. Experts attribute growing inequality partly to wealthy investors’ ability to capitalize on European property markets while ordinary families struggle with rent and purchase prices.
Consumer price increases compound these challenges. Prices for everyday goods and services rose 67.2 percent across the eurozone and two other countries since 2000. Hungary experienced the steepest increase with prices more than tripling. Eastern European nations saw particularly sharp rises following 2022, partly due to dependence on Russian energy supplies disrupted by geopolitical events.
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