Europeans’ purchasing power rises to 21,153 euros in 2026

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NIQ Purchasing Power Europe 2026 now available

Bruchsal, Germany, October 29, 2026 - Average per capita purchasing power in Europe will increase to 21,153 euros in 2026. However, significant disparities remain among the 42 countries analyzed: people in Liechtenstein, Switzerland, and Iceland have considerably higher disposable incomes than the rest of Europe, while purchasing power is lowest in Ukraine, Kosovo, and Moldova. In addition, the latest data reveals several shifts within the European purchasing power ranking. These are among the findings of the new study "NIQ Purchasing Power Europe 2026," which is now available.

Overall, Europeans will have a total purchasing power of approximately 14.5 trillion euros in 2026. This budget is available for spending on housing, consumption, services, energy, mobility, private retirement provision and leisure activities. On a per capita basis, this corresponds to an average purchasing power of 21,153 euros per inhabitant. Compared to the revised previous year's figure, this represents nominal growth of 4.4 percent. However, the amount of disposable income available for consumption and savings continues to vary considerably across Europe.

Purchasing power distribution across Europe: Norway climbs five places

As in previous years, Liechtenstein ranks first in the European purchasing power ranking in 2026. The country's inhabitants have a per capita purchasing power of 78,520 euros, equivalent to 3.7 times the European average. Switzerland and Iceland follow in second and third place, respectively. While Swiss residents enjoy a purchasing power of 54,730 euros per capita, around 2.6 times the European average, people in Iceland have 44,692 euros per capita at their disposal. Purchasing power in Iceland therefore exceeds the European average by more than double.

Purchasing power in Europe (Top 10)

Source: © NIQ Purchasing Power Europe 2026 * Index per inhabitant: European average = 100
exchange rate for non-euro countries: 2026 prognosis of the European Commission from May 21, 2026

All other countries in the Top 10 also report per capita purchasing power significantly above the European average. The largest ranking change compared to the previous year is recorded by Norway, which moves from tenth to fifth place with a per capita purchasing power of 35,947 euros in 2026. In addition, Iceland and Luxembourg swap positions, now ranking third and fourth, respectively.

Movement in the ranking is also evident beyond the Top 10. Hungary improves from rank 30 to rank 27, reaching a per capita purchasing power of 15,105 euros. The Czech Republic gains two positions and now ranks 21st with 17,785 euros per inhabitant.

Overall, 17 of the 42 countries analyzed exceed the European average, while 25 countries remain below it. Ukraine continues to rank last, with purchasing power amounting to only 3,456 euros per inhabitant, roughly 16 percent of the European average.

"With growth of 4.4 percent, purchasing power in Europe is once again increasing noticeably in 2026," says Carsten Buchart, NIQ Geomarketing expert. "What stands out is that many markets in Central and Southeastern Europe continue to develop more dynamically than large parts of Western Europe. At the same time, the established Western European markets remain among Europe's most important consumer markets due to their high purchasing power levels and market size. While purchasing power differences across Europe are gradually narrowing, market potential continues to vary considerably across the continent."

Capital regions often significantly outperform national averages

In many European countries, purchasing power continues to be concentrated in capital regions. This is particularly evident in Romania: while average per capita purchasing power nationwide stands at 11,283 euros, residents of the Bucharest capital region enjoy an average of 22,941 euros. Purchasing power there is therefore more than twice the national average.

Other capital regions also report above-average values. For example, Paris exceeds the French national average by around 80 percent with a purchasing power of 46,366 euros per capita, while disposable income in Bratislava, Sofia, Prague, Budapest, and Lisbon is at least 25 percent above their respective national averages.

However, this pattern does not apply to every capital city in Europe. In Berlin, per capita purchasing power of 30,178 euros is more than 1,000 euros below the German national average of 31,193 euros. The difference is even more pronounced in Brussels, where purchasing power remains approximately 10 percent below the national average.

Metropolitan regions concentrate Europe's largest market potentials

When looking at total purchasing power, some of Europe's largest metropolitan regions stand out. The French capital region Île-de-France records a purchasing power volume of approximately 396 billion, followed by Lombardy with 272 billion euros and the Istanbul metropolitan region with 227 billion euros.

These three regions represent different market profiles. While Île-de-France and Lombardy combine large populations with per capita purchasing power well above 25,000 euros, Istanbul achieves a comparable market potential due to its size, despite a per capita purchasing power of 14,411 euros.

About the study

The study "NIQ Purchasing Power Europe 2026" is available for 42 European countries at detailed regional levels such as municipalities and postcodes, along with seamlessly fitting data on inhabitants and households as well as digital maps.

Purchasing power is a measure of disposable income after the deduction of taxes and charitable contributions, and it also includes any received state benefits. The study indicates per-person, per-year purchasing power levels in euros and as an index. NIQ Purchasing Power is based on the population's nominal disposable income, which means values are not adjusted for inflation. Calculations are carried out on the basis of reported income and earnings, statistics on government benefits, as well as economic forecasts provided by economic institutes.

Consumers draw from their general purchasing power to cover expenses related to food, housing, services, energy, private pensions and insurance plans, as well as other expenditures, such as vacations, mobility and consumer purchases.

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Print-quality images can be found here.

Additional information
on NIQ Geomarketing's regional market data can be found here.

Press contact: Thomas Muranyi, T +49 911 395 4928, [email protected]