The Genworth Index - (2007 - 2009)

The Genworth Index is the first ever measure of consumer financial vulnerability across 14 major European markets. It was created by leading academics in this field at the European Credit Research Institute and the Personal Finance Research Centre at the University of Bristol.

• The Genworth Index reveals a promising, if small, fall in levels of consumer financial vulnerability in Europe since 2008.
• Modest alleviation of financial difficulties among households combined with less negative expectations about their future financial positions explains the improvement in the average Index score. 
• Ireland and Poland experienced an increase in relative financial vulnerability.
• Ireland now leads Europe as the country with the highest levels of financial vulnerability among consumers relative to financial security in 2009.
• Poland saw the largest increase in relative financial vulnerability.
• Portugal and Norway saw large falls in levels of relative financial vulnerability.
• Norway replaces Denmark as the least vulnerable of all the European countries.
• More optimistic expectations for the future explain the lower level of relative financial vulnerability in the USA compared with the average for Europe.