The Irish attitude towards savings is increasingly positive, a new survey has shown. According to the Nationwide UK (Ireland)/ESRI Savings Index, there has been a steady upward trend driven by personal attitudes towards saving and concerns about the economy.

The sub-index dealing with attitude has risen by four points, bringing it to a six-month average of 101.

The survey found people are less negative about how much they are saving each month, with 58 per cent saying they are saving less than they think they should, 5 per cent higher than the average level in the same six-month period last year.

However, only 39 per cent save regularly, compared with 42 per cent in the same period in 2010.