The CBBH marks the World Savings Day

On the occasion of the World Savings Day, which is marked on 31 October, the Central Bank of Bosnia and Herzegovina (CBBH) is organizing educational activities for primary and secondary school students, with the aim of raising awareness of the importance of saving, responsible money management and making rational financial decisions.

Through visits to the Main Units and Branches of the CBBH, students are informed, by means of appropriate presentations, on the basic financial concepts and told about the importance of developing sound habits in the management of money from an early age.

Financial literacy is an important part of preparing young people for independent decision-making in everyday life. Understanding the relation between income and expenditures, planning spending and creating the habit of saving a part of the available funds, in accordance with the capacities of the individual and the family, can contribute to better financial safety in the future. That is why the CBBH continuously supports the activities by which young people learn about these issues in an understandable and convenient way.

The importance of saving and personal finance management is also confirmed by the data on household deposits in the banking sector of Bosnia and Herzegovina. According to the CBBH statistics, the total household deposits at the end of September 2026 amounted to KM 21.39 billion. Compared to the same period last year, an increase of KM 2.5 billion, or 13.3%, was recorded.

Household deposits account for 52.1% of the total deposits in the banking sector, making them an important source of bank financing and an important element of the financial system stability.

Regarding the maturity structure, term and savings deposits of households amounted to KM 6.26 billion or 29.3% of the total household deposits, with an annual growth of 10.7%. Sight deposits amounted to KM 4.13 billion, or 19.3% of the total amount, having increased by 7.3%. Transaction accounts of households accounted for KM 11 billion, which represents 51.4% of the total household deposits, with an annual increase of 17.3%.

These data show that the total household deposits include various forms of holdings in banks. While term and savings deposits represent funds set aside for a certain period of time or under special conditions, deposits in transaction accounts and sight deposits primarily enable the disposal of funds for everyday needs. Therefore, the growth of the total deposits does not necessarily mean the equal growth of savings specifically.

Data on currency structure show that household deposits in convertible marks at the end of September 2026 amounted to KM 12.84 billion, which is 60.0% of the total household deposits. Deposits in euro and deposits in KM with currency indexation to the euro amounted to KM 7.77 billion or 36.3%, while deposits in other foreign currencies amounted to KM 776.7 million or 3.7%.

Household deposits in the local currency recorded an annual growth of 15.4%, primarily due to the increase of funds in transaction accounts in KM by KM 1.5 billion. At the same time, deposits in foreign currencies increased by 10.2% compared to the same period of the previous year.

The CBBH reminds that a responsible attitude towards money does not only imply saving for the future, but also understanding one's own financial capabilities, planning costs and making decisions in accordance with personal needs and circumstances. Education on these issues is especially important for children and young people, because financial habits adopted at an early age can be reflected in their decisions throughout their lives.

By marking the World Savings Day, the CBBH continues to contribute to the development of financial literacy and raising awareness of the importance of rational money management, as one of the preconditions for the long-term financial security of individuals and the stability of society.

The CBBH is continuously working on improving the financial literacy of pupils, students and citizens through cooperation with educational institutions, the development of educational materials and the organization of educational visits. In addition, the CBBH is actively working on the initiative for the establishment of the Financial Education Board, with the aim of strengthening institutional coordination and systemic integration of financial literacy in the education system.

About the World Savings Day

The World Savings Day has been established on 31 October 1924, at the First International Congress of Savings Banks held in Milan. Representatives of savings institutions from different countries then emphasised the importance of savings for economic development and recovery after the First World War, with the aim of encouraging savings and responsible money management around the world.