AN AVIVA survey of six countries revealed that Singaporeans are most likely to zero in on financial products that give higher returns in a zero interest rate environment.

Of the 500 respondants from Singapore, 28 per cent are more likely to put their money in the stock market in the next 12 months, as compared to the last year.

Fifty-four per cent of respondants said they would be more likely to take out savings plans that invest in the stock market, as these give better returns than traditional deposit accounts.

Mr Shaun Meadows, chief executive of Aviva in Singapore, Hong Kong and the Middle East, said on Tuesday: 'Zero interest rate means that (consumers') wealth is actually depreciating on an annual basis' if held in deposit accounts.

Among the six countries, Singaporeans were also the most bullish about the world returning to what it was before the economic downturn, while respondants from Spain and Britain were the most pessimistic.