Annex A. Occurrence of financial difficulties during COVID-19
Annex Table 1. Nearly one‑third of households in OECD had trouble paying bills during COVID‑19
Percent of respondents reporting each of the following financial difficulties since the start of the COVID‑19 pandemic, 2020
Failed to pay a usual expense
Taken money out of own savings or sold assets
Taken money from friends or extended family
Taken on additional debt or used credit
Asked a charity or non-profit institution for assistance
Gone hungry because could not afford food
Lost your home as could not afford the mortgage or rent
Declared bankruptcy or asked bank for assistance
Any of the above
Austria
4.2
15.9
5.2
2.3
1.7
1.1
0.6
0.7
22.5
Belgium
4.2
11.0
5.3
2.6
1.4
3.0
1.4
1.3
20.2
Canada
8.8
20.8
6.6
12.5
2.7
4.1
0.8
0.7
32.3
Chile
28.6
42.6
18.7
16.3
6.7
6.8
1.4
2.5
61.2
Denmark
1.4
9.3
5.0
3.9
1.2
2.3
1.0
0.6
17.4
Estonia
7.1
17.9
9.1
7.9
2.2
4.6
2.1
0.9
30.6
Finland
6.9
13.6
5.6
4.2
1.6
1.6
0.5
0.7
21.6
France
6.5
10.3
4.6
3.3
1.5
2.9
0.6
0.4
21.0
Germany
3.9
12.2
5.1
3.3
1.6
2.0
0.4
0.9
18.7
Greece
27.5
20.1
16.3
2.4
2.0
13.8
1.3
0.4
48.9
Ireland
9.6
20.4
7.8
8.0
1.5
2.2
0.9
0.8
30.7
Israel
8.3
18.2
9.2
9.7
2.9
2.1
0.8
0.2
29.9
Italy
9.7
16.9
6.0
5.5
3.4
1.7
1.4
0.4
29.6
Korea
4.0
6.8
5.8
6.7
1.8
2.4
1.1
0.7
19.0
Lithuania
6.4
14.4
8.2
3.5
2.3
2.8
1.6
0.5
25.7
Mexico
26.4
40.1
27.0
18.7
7.0
10.7
1.3
2.2
66.1
Netherlands
3.3
9.0
3.8
2.4
2.2
2.0
0.5
1.1
15.6
Norway
5.2
13.0
7.2
4.0
2.6
3.8
1.5
0.6
23.2
Poland
12.1
10.3
9.8
8.1
3.4
7.3
1.9
1.1
32.9
Portugal
7.0
17.0
5.7
5.2
2.1
1.9
0.4
0.6
25.5
Slovenia
12.9
23.4
9.0
7.1
3.7
2.8
0.8
1.1
34.2
Spain
6.7
18.9
5.6
4.4
2.0
1.6
0.3
0.6
27.4
Switzerland
6.8
14.5
7.0
3.5
3.0
3.2
1.2
0.8
25.4
Turkey
28.5
28.5
22.2
23.8
9.3
6.2
5.3
3.4
61.2
United States
12.2
20.2
10.8
12.7
5.8
5.6
2.5
1.1
33.7
Average
10.3
17.8
9.1
7.3
3.0
3.9
1.3
1.0
31.0
Note: Respondents were asked whether, at any time since the start of the COVID‑19 pandemic, they (or their household) had experienced one or more of a range of specific finance‑related events, listed in the above columns. Respondents could select all the options that applied.
