WORLD SAVINGS DAY
31 OCTOBER 2025
WORLD SAVINGS DAY
"This is not a savings account. It’s far greater than this"
The idea of saving is very ancient. It is a habit of preparation, a gesture of trust in the future, and often, the quiet force behind life’s most meaningful possibilities. As we approach the 2025 edition of World Savings Day that will be celebrated on 31st October, with this year’s campaign, WSBI invites its members to reflect on what saving really means today.
The theme focuses on its symbolic significance in people’s lives, exploring what it truly means beyond the figures, and on the unique role that locally rooted savings and retail banks continue to play in local communities.
The campaign’s message is simple: and challenges traditional perceptions “This is not a savings account. It’s far greater than this.”
Saving, after all, is much more than figures on a balance sheet.
Saving, after all, is much more than figures on a balance sheet. It’s about the people behind those figures, the parent setting money aside for their child’s education, the young couple preparing to buy their first home, the entrepreneur taking their first step toward independence. Behind each of these moments is a decision to plan ahead, to build stability, and to protect what matters. And very often, there are savings and retail bank helping make it possible.
WSBI-ESBG’s savings and retail banks operate where most stories begin: in local communities. Their relationship with customers is not purely transactional, it is long-term, human, and built on trust. For two centuries, they have helped people prepare for the unexpected, to face emergencies with resilience, to weather difficult times, and to grow stronger. Savings and retail banks remain beacons of stability, solidity and trust in times of economic volatility, climate shocks, political instability.
But savings are not only a safety net. It’s also about growth. The journey of saving is a cumulative one: a small decision today that opens new possibilities tomorrow. Whether it’s opening a youth account, participating in a financial literacy programme, or setting up a retirement plan, savings banks help people grow steadily, in confidence.
That’s because saving is also about freedom. The freedom to choose a path. The freedom to say yes. Financial independence starts with the ability to decide, and that ability often rests on the presence of a well-built savings habit.
Equally important is the long-term perspective. In many cultures, saving is generational. People save not only for themselves, but to support loved ones, prepare an inheritance, or leave behind something meaningful.
Savings banks, many of which are themselves institutions built over generations, understand this intergenerational dimension. They offer the continuity, advice, and financial products that help individuals turn short-term habits into lasting legacies.
And of course, saving is about dreams. Often quiet, sometimes ambitious, always deeply personal. Whether it’s starting a business, studying abroad, or finally taking the leap toward a long-held goal, dreams require advice and preparation. Savings banks accompany individuals on that path, turning aspirations into plans, and plans into action.
This year’s World Savings Day campaign brings all these dimensions together. It reminds us that saving is about intention, empowerment, and progress. And while the tools have evolved, from paper passbooks and piggy banks to mobile apps, the mission remains the same.
Because when we talk about saving, we’re talking about people.
We are also talking about the institutions that quietly stand beside them, enabling, supporting, and strengthening communities through every stage of life.
WSBI members are invited to join the campaign by sharing how they bring this mission to life. Through testimonials, local initiatives, education programmes, or digital outreach — each contribution helps to paint a fuller picture of what saving means today. WSBI will support these efforts through dedicated campaign materials, visuals, and communications channels, with the goal of building a collective message that resonates across borders.