Why excess private savings over investment, even corrected by a fiscal deficit, are bad for growth
We look at the OECD and at the world as a whole . Since the subprime crisis and even more after the COVID crisis, we have seen significant excess private sector savings over investment, and these excess private savings have been offset by the fiscal deficit. But even though the fiscal deficit offsets the excess private savings over investment, there is a loss of growth and potential growth. This is because the fiscal deficit is less "productive" than private sector investment: it consists largely of public transfer payments and tax cuts, and little in public investments and therefore leads to: An increase in corporate and household savings, due to a loss of demand compared with private investments; Low capital accumulation, and therefore a loss of potential growth .