Livret A savings see modest recovery in France despite low interest rates

The Livret A savings account recorded a net collection of 80 million euros in July 2026, ending a six-month period of net withdrawals. However, this figure is significantly lower than the ten-year historical average for July, which stands at 1.34 billion euros.

Despite a recent interest rate increase from 1.5% to 1.7%, the product appears to struggle to attract savers. Philippe Crevel, president of the Cercle de l’épargne, noted that while the rate hike provided a slight stimulus, it was insufficient to make the Livret A highly attractive. Many savers are instead opting for life insurance products, which offer returns of approximately 2.7% on euro funds.

Data from the Caisse des dépôts et consignations shows that total outstanding balances for the Livret A and the Livret de Développement Durable et Solidaire (LDDS) reached 608.4 billion euros by the end of July 2026, a decrease of one billion euros compared to the previous year. While the Livret A saw a modest return to positive deposits, other regulated savings products like the LDDS and the Livret d’Épargne Populaire continued to experience net withdrawals.