Swedish saving behavior is changing. How are you allocating your tax refund?

Swedish saving behavior is changing. This is evident not least in how households view their savings, where the development in recent years has been clear. In this period of tax returns, when many receive money back, the question of how those funds should be allocated becomes even more relevant.

Swedish households have long held a strong financial position from a European perspective. In 2025, total net wealth amounted to just over SEK 30,000 billion, while total debt was just over SEK 5,400 billion. Financial assets correspond to around 330 percent of GDP, placing Sweden among the top countries in the EU.

Looking back, the development has not been linear. During the period 2000 to 2019, debt increased more than liquid assets, and savings did not keep pace with borrowing. After the pandemic, that pattern shifted. Between 2020 and 2024, liquid assets grew significantly and savings turned clearly positive. Households strengthened their buffers, and more regular saving became more common.

Saving has now become a natural part of everyday life for many Swedes, and more people have a conscious relationship with their finances. Sweden ranks highly in international comparisons of financial literacy, and even higher when it comes to confidence in one’s own ability to make financial decisions.

At the same time, the distribution of savings says something about how they are used, and awareness of the need to save appears to be greater than knowledge of how to do so. More than SEK 2,100 billion of Swedish household savings are currently held in accounts without fixed terms, often with low returns. The major banks control a majority of these funds, indicating that a significant amount of capital remains in traditional forms of saving.

Against this background, the question is not only whether one saves, but also how. For many, the tax refund is an opportunity to make that choice: either to let the money remain part of what already sits in a household account, or to give it a clearer role in a more active form of saving with better returns.

At SaveLend, we offer saving strategies designed to generate ongoing returns through investments in credit. For those seeking a more return-focused approach, the Yield strategy is available, while Balanced is aimed at those looking for a more even risk level and stable development over time. Please visit our website to learn more about our products, and if you have any questions, you are more than welcome to contact us.