Downturn impacting relationships more is Australia: Survey

The global economic downturn is affecting relationships more in Australia than in other major countries across the world, according to an international survey.

The survey released on Monday says that 1 in 4 Australian marriages are finding it tough to survive in the trying economic times as compared to a fewer 1 in 7 in other major economies.

About 24 per cent Australians reported strained relationships with their spouses while 12 per cent couples reported strained relationships in Germany, 18 per cent in Spain and 18 per cent in the UK.

Couples in the US have been hit the hardest with 29 per cent complaining of problems due to the downturn.

However, Australians seem to be taking a more practical approach to counter the tough times cutting back on credit card spending (33 per cent), cooking at home more often (50 per cent) and deferring retirement plans by up to five years to survive the downturn.

The survey in which 11,000 people participated from 9 countries around the world found that the Australians and Canadians were among the most confident regarding their finances with less than 30 per cent reporting concerns about saving for a buffer in case of a crisis.