When it comes to money, women really are more responsible than men, with an international survey finding that they're less likely to get into debt and strive harder to become financially independent.

The global Reuters Synovate survey polled some 4,500 women in 12 countries about money matters. An equal number of men were also asked several questions related to finances.

The survey showed that just over half respondents of both genders¹ said women are more responsible with money than men, with the highest level of agreement found in Mexico, where 72 percent of people believed women were better at handling finances.

And although more than 40 percent of women use part of their monthly income to pay off credit cards, some 70 percent of female respondents also said that having more than one credit card could lead to financial debt, revealing women's higher awareness².

"It's obviously not the card itself that causes anyone to use it. So the statement is really about control and temptation," said Claire Braverman, international market research firm Synovate's senior vice³ president of Financial Services in the United States.

"The ability to spend more, that you don't have in the first place, can certainly lead to debt. It means people have to control themselves and their spouses," she added.

More women believed in their financial ability than men, with 61 percent saying they were more responsible, while only 40 percent of men agreed.

But nearly half the women surveyed also conceded that they were bigger spenders than their male counterparts, with nearly 60 percent of men agreeing.

The survey was conducted in December in Australia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, France, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, the Netherlands, South Africa, Britain, and the United States.

说到钱的问题，女性的确比男性更负责任。一项全球调查发现，与男性相比，女性更不容易陷入债务，而且更努力地争取经济独立。

这项由“路透思纬”开展的全球理财民调有来自12个国家的近4500名女性和相同人数的男性参加。

调查结果显示，无论是男性受访者，还是女性受访者，均有略超过一半的人认为女性在金钱问题上比男性更负责任。墨西哥受访者对这个问题的认同度最高，有72%的受访者认为女性更善于理财。

尽管超过40%的女性用月收入的一部分偿还信用卡，但同时约有70%的女性受访者认为持有一张以上的信用卡容易导致负债，这说明女性在这方面的意识较强。

思纬全球市场调查公司美国金融服务部高级副总监克莱尔•布雷弗曼说：“显然不是信用卡本身促使人们消费，这其实是一个克制和诱惑的问题。”

她说：“过度消费、入不敷出必然会导致负债。这意味着人们必须克制自己和配偶的消费欲望。”

在理财能力方面，女性比男性更自信。61%的女性受访者称自己在金钱方面更负责任，而仅有40%的男性有这样的信心。

但近一半的受访女性称自己比配偶花钱多，近60%的男性这样认为。

这项调查于去年12月在澳大利亚、巴西、保加利亚、加拿大、法国、印度尼西亚、马来西亚、墨西哥、荷兰、南非、英国和美国开展。