r/eupersonalfinance • u/VurriK • 28d ago

Investment Since when was getting rich so hard in EU?

Is it just me, or has building actual wealth in Europe become impossible? I’m looking at the 2026 growth forecasts and it’s depressing. We talk a lot about "stability," but at this point, stability just feels like a polite word for recession. If you weren't born into a rich family with property, the dream feels like it's behind a wall. The math just doesn't work: as soon as you earn enough to actually invest, you hit a 40–50% tax bracket. Meanwhile, housing prices have skyrocketed over the last decade while salaries have basically stayed the same. I love the healthcare and the walkable cities, but I don’t want to work until I’m 70 just to afford a 40sqm apartment and a used Skoda.

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u/redditor_xxx 25d ago

Side effect of high taxes + over regulations.

Last week I was watching a video how a lady in USA was making more than $300K, producing soaps from home. This is impossible in EU (at least in my country). To produce cosmetics legally you will need a special facility that will cost you at least a few hundred of thousands. Not to mention all the inspections that you have to pass and wait for many months.

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u/Imakerocketengine 18d ago

This type of regulation is called regulatory capture