Average market risk premium for selected countries in Europe 2023

Split into three categories (required, historical, expected), market risk premiums measure the rate of return investors expect on an investment over the risk that investment holds. In Europe, average market risk premiums (MRP) sit between five and ten percent.

Greece sees hike in MRP

Although it has a relatively high market risk premium, Greece has seen its rates significantly decrease since 2020. Greece also saw a higher than average return rate on risk free investments. The same correlation can be seen with Europe’s less risky countries for investment. With Germany seeing some of the lowest market risk premiums and risk free returns in Europe.

Required, historical and expected

Separating the three types of market risk premiums is straightforward. Required MRP’s differ between investors, as approaches to investment change and measure the rate of return needed for an investment to be made. Expected premiums look at the rate of return, and what they are calculated to come out as, while historical MRP’s look back over a period at the average rate of return that investors previously got in the past.