The Genworth Index

This is the fourth edition of "The Genworth Index". The Index in 2010 has tracked consumer financial vulnerability in 18 countries (14 European, the US, Canada, Mexico and Australia) in a survey of nearly 14,000 households.

Download Report 2.65MB

• Greece worsened to become the most financially vulnerable country of all 18 surveyed in 2010, with a high relative vulnerability score of 76 on the Index.
• Portugal saw a deterioration in households’ situations similar in magnitude to Greece; Spain, in contrast, experienced no change on the Index.
• For the first time, Ireland saw an improvement both in real terms (falling 27 points on the Index) and relative to other countries (improving five places).
• Mexico, USA and Canada fared better than much of Europe due largely to greater optimism in these North American countries.
• With an Index score of 23, newcomer Mexico stands mid-table alongside Turkey, France and Great Britain.
• Australia shadows the USA, both countries scoring just above zero on the Genworth Index.
• Canada joins the Nordic countries, scoring below zero – indicating relative financial security – on the Index.
• Since the Index baseline edition in 2007, experience of financial difficulty has increased significantly in Europe, compounded by a doubling in the rate of householders’ pessimism for their own financial futures.