Young partners are less likely to choose to combine incomes into a joint family budget, the Citadele Bank reported to LETA, citing the results of a survey conducted.
A fully joint financial model is chosen by 44% of residents aged 60 and older, while among the youth, it is only 29%. At the same time, in all age groups up to retirement, a mixed approach prevails — part of the expenses is covered jointly, while part remains under the personal management of each partner.
The data shows that financial management in couples in Latvia is flexible and increasingly adapts to individual needs. Nowadays, partners are more often seeking a balance between shared financial responsibility and personal independence.
Older couples are more likely to combine financial resources, as after retirement, incomes usually decrease and become more stable but limited. A joint budget allows for more effective planning of everyday expenses, covering medical costs, and maintaining financial security, which is particularly important at this stage of life.
Married couples more often choose a fully joint budget, while partners without officially registered relationships prefer a model with partially joint or completely separate finances. Daily finances are fully combined by 38% of married couples and about 25% of unmarried partners.
Overall, in Latvia, 35% of respondents manage expenses according to a fully joint budget model, while 17% plan finances completely separately. The most common model across all age groups, except for those over 60, is a partially joint budget, where part of the expenses with a partner is shared, and part is separate.
The survey of residents was conducted by Citadele Bank in collaboration with the research agency Norstat in January 2026, surveying 792 residents of Latvia aged 18 to 74 online.
