Can domestic savings cover the country’s increasing investment needs?

The savings-investment gap (S-I) gap, the difference between gross domestic savings and gross capital formation, reflects a country’s ability to finance its overall investment needs. An S-I deficit happens when a country’s investment expenditures exceed its savings, leading a country to borrow to fund the gap. In 2023, the country’s savings rate — gross domestic savings as a share of gross domestic product (GDP) — reached 9.2% (P2.23 trillion) while the investment rate stood at 23.4% (P5.7 trillion) of GDP, resulting in a P3.47-trillion gap.