The study, which surveyed the spending habits of more than 12,500 consumers in 13 European countries, asked people how honest they are with their partner when it comes to their personal finances.

The French are most likely to find financial secrecy normal, with 42 per cent content to hide information about their finances. The UK also ranks quite highly, with 37 per cent prepared to hide information about money from their partner. Both French and British residents score significantly higher than the European average of 31 per cent; conversely, only 13 per cent of Dutch consumers are comfortable keeping money secrets.

The most common form of financial secrecy relates to debt, with almost one in seven across the continent prepared to hide some form of debt from their loved one. The Turkish are most likely to conceal a debt (31 per cent), followed by Romanians (22 per cent) and Poles (14 per cent). Once again, the Dutch are more transparent, with just 2 per cent having debt they don’t want their partner to know about.

The research also highlights the phenomenon of ‘secret spenders’, with one in five (19 per cent) admitting to hiding a purchase from their partner during the last 12 months. Romanian consumers are the biggest secret spenders (31 per cent), followed by consumers in Turkey and the Czech Republic. A quarter (23 per cent) of Brits hide purchases. Again, the Dutch perform well in this regard, with only 7 per cent willing to partake in secret shopping.

However, the findings also indicate that it’s not merely spending and savings that partners are in the dark about; more than one in 10 (13 per cent) European couples don’t know how much money their partner earns. This is true for almost one in five couples in the UK, Romania, Turkey and the Czech Republic. This may reflect differing attitudes and taboos across the continent when it comes to talking about salary; more Spanish couples are aware of how much their partner earns than any other nationality.

“Many factors could influence how open couples are about their finances,” Ian Bright, senior economist at ING said. “Our research suggests that the majority of people are quite comfortable talking to their partners about how much they spend, save and earn, but around one in three admit to hiding some information.

“Discussing earnings or debt can be a sensitive matter for some. However, the support of those closest to home can be invaluable when it comes to managing money.”

For more information on the financial conversations you should be having with your partner, please visit the Your Money guide ‘4 chats you should have before your wedding day’.