European payment behaviour differs across income groups and generations

After several years of economic turbulence, indicators of consumer financial stability are showing signs of improvement across Europe. More consumers report that they are able to meet their monthly financial commitments, pointing to stronger payment discipline at an aggregate level.

Data from the European Consumer Payment Report 2025,  with insights from more than 20,000 consumers across 20 European countries, shows that while overall payment behaviour has improved, financial resilience remains uneven across the population. Clear differences persist between income groups and generations.

Payment discipline has improved over time

A growing share of European consumers report that they pay all of their bills on time. Compared with previous years, this marks a clear improvement in reported payment behaviour across Europe.

This trend indicates that more households are successfully managing their recurring financial obligations, even amid continued economic uncertainty.

Financial resilience remains uneven across income groups

Despite improvements at an aggregate level, the ECPR data shows a clear divide in payment behaviour between income groups.

Consumers with above-average incomes are significantly more likely to report that they pay all of their bills on time. In contrast, consumers with below-average incomes report lower levels of payment punctuality, with those on average incomes falling between these two groups. These differences highlight that improvements in payment discipline are not experienced evenly across the population.

Differences also emerge across generations

In addition to income-based differences, the data shows variation in payment behaviour across generations.

Older generations are more likely to report paying all of their bills on time, while younger consumers report lower levels of payment punctuality. Gen Z shows the lowest share of consumers reporting that they pay all bills on time, while Boomers and Gen X report the highest levels.

Understanding financial resilience beyond headline trends

Taken together, the ECPR 2025 data shows that payment discipline has improved across Europe, but that financial resilience remains uneven when viewed through income and generational lenses.

Examining these differences is essential for understanding how financial pressure and financial stability are distributed across the European population, and for gaining a more complete picture of consumer financial health.