Women are overtaking men as the nation's most diligent savers, despite the still-substantial wage gap, a National Savings & Investment survey has shown.

Women are now saving one per cent more of their monthly income than the same time last year, at 6.84 per cent one of the highest female saving rates ever found by the NS&I.

This outstrips men's saving rate of 6.37 per cent for the first time since the NS&I survey began despite men's earnings increasing substantially more than women's in the past year.

"Despite having an earnings advantage over women, men are failing to make the most of their ability to secure their financial future," said Dax Harkins of NS&I.

"It is perhaps because they averagely earn more and therefore feel more confident about their financial situation that they are more likely to fluctuate the amount they put away and are not showing such strong improvements as women.

"In contrast, although women are affected by the double whammy of lower pay and the fact that many take career breaks or work part-time, they have impressed with both their actual savings and intentions."

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