It marks the biggest funding drive from households in Belgium's history and is likely Europe's biggest retail bond sale, the country's debt agency said on Monday. Equivalent to around 5% of Belgian deposits, it eclipses the 5.7 billion euros raised from savers at the height of the euro zone debt crisis in 2011 and beats the 18 billion euros Italy raised from savers earlier this year. European lenders awash with cash have resisted raising savings rates while market interest rates have surged as central banks fight inflation, prompting withdrawals by households looking for better returns. While demand for the bond is high, the country's biggest lenders are yet to raise rates paid on savings accounts. "This will be different for every bank, but the financial stability of every bank needs to be monitored closely."

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Persons: Dado Ruvic, Bonds, Vincent Van Peteghem, Jean Deboutte, Isabelle Marchand, Van Peteghem, Marchand, Febelfin, Yoruk Bahceli, Bart Meijer, Sudip Kar, Dhara Ranasinghe, Ed Osmond Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Europe, Belgium, BRUSSELS, Italy, Portugal, Belgian