What is the average allowance for kids in 2026?

Greenlight's 2025 data puts the average weekly allowance at $13.15 for kids ages 5 to 19 in families that use Greenlight. Till Financial's analysis of 9,135 US families puts 16- and 17-year-olds higher, at roughly $20 to $45 per week.

How many US states require a personal finance course to graduate?

As of the latest count, 30 states require a standalone personal finance course, per Next Gen Personal Finance's State of Financial Education Report. As those requirements finish rolling out, about 76% of US public high school students (the Class of 2031) will be guaranteed a personal finance course.

How financially literate are students in the US?

US 15-year-olds scored 505 on the OECD's PISA 2022 financial literacy test, statistically level with the OECD average of 498. About 17% scored below the baseline proficiency level, compared with 18% across OECD countries.

How financially literate are US adults?

US adults answer only about 49% of basic personal finance questions correctly on the TIAA Institute-GFLEC Personal Finance Index, a figure that has stayed roughly flat for years. Americans estimated that gaps in money knowledge cost them about $1,015 each in 2024, per the National Financial Educators Council.

When does Gen Z start investing?

Gen Z started saving and investing at an average age of 19, according to Charles Schwab's 2024 Modern Wealth Survey. That is nearly half the age at which baby boomers started (35).

Are parents talking to their kids about money more than past generations?

By their own account, yes. In an Intuit survey of 2,000 US parents of kids under 18 (March 2026), 79% said they are more transparent with their kids about money than their own parents were with them.

By the Penny Time editorial team May 26, 2026

Reviewed by the Penny Time editorial team

Part of our Money Skills hub.

Kids and Money Statistics 2026: Verified Facts Every Parent Should Know

Most parents make money decisions for their kids on gut feel. The data tells a sharper story about where allowances actually land, when kids start investing, and how wide the gap is between what schools teach and what kids need. Every number below links to its primary source. We removed the figures we could not trace to a named, checkable report, so what is left is what you can actually rely on.

Allowance and earning

Allowance is still the most common entry point to money management, and the numbers below come from real family data.

$13.15 was the average weekly allowance for kids ages 5 to 19 in families using Greenlight in 2025, per Greenlight's allowance data. That works out to roughly $680 a year per child.
$20 to $45 per week is the typical range for 16- and 17-year-olds, per Till Financial's analysis of 9,135 US families.
90% of kids say they want to earn money, not just receive it, according to Greenlight's 2025 report, which is one reason chore-linked and job-style allowances keep growing.

If you want to benchmark what you give against age-tiered norms, the allowance calculator turns age, chores, and household standards into a suggested range.

The financial literacy gap

The classroom side of this story is bleaker than the kitchen-table side, and it is where the most reliable public data lives.

30 states now require a standalone personal finance course for high school graduation, per the Next Gen Personal Finance State of Financial Education Report. Once those requirements finish rolling out, about 76% of US public high school students (the Class of 2031) will be guaranteed a course. You can see where your state stands in our financial literacy by state guide.
88% of parents say personal finance should be required for high school graduation, and 87% say teaching kids about money is as important as reading, math, or science, per a 2026 Everfi survey of 750 US parents of kids in grades 1 to 12 (fielded March 2026, published August 2026).
About 49% is the share of basic personal finance questions the average US adult answers correctly on the TIAA Institute-GFLEC Personal Finance Index, a number that has barely moved in years.
$1,015 is what US adults estimated a lack of money knowledge cost them in 2024, per the National Financial Educators Council survey.

How financially literate are US students?

PISA, the OECD's international test of 15-year-olds, also measured financial literacy in its 2022 round, in 20 countries and economies including the US. Every figure below comes from the OECD's PISA 2022 financial literacy factsheet for the United States, and the OECD averages cover the 14 OECD countries and economies that took the test. One caveat from the OECD: the US sample did not meet one or more PISA sampling standards, so its estimates should be read with caution.

505 points was the average US score, against an OECD average of 498. The OECD does not treat that gap as statistically significant, so US teens are level with the OECD average. The US score was 18 points higher than in 2015 and statistically unchanged from 2012 and 2018.
17% of US 15-year-olds scored below the baseline proficiency level (Level 2), compared with 18% across OECD countries. At best, these students can identify common financial products, tell a need from a want, and make simple everyday spending decisions.
13.5% reached the top level (Level 5), versus 11% across the OECD. Students at this level can analyze complex financial products and solve unfamiliar money problems, such as spotting a scam email and responding to it appropriately.
49% of US 15-year-olds reported having a bank or credit union account, against an OECD average of 63%. Just over half (52%) held a payment or debit card, up from 14% in 2012.
55% of US students reported talking about the family budget with their parents. Students who discuss it weekly or monthly scored 24 points higher than students who never do, after accounting for student characteristics.

At school, 39% of US students said they had seen personal finance tasks in math class, compared with 44% across the OECD. Our state-by-state guide shows which states now guarantee a standalone course, and teachers can start with our free financial literacy resources for teachers.

How kids save and invest

Greenlight's 2025 Family Trends Report finds that kids are saving more and investing at younger ages.

$46.56 was the average kid stock buy trade in 2025, up from $39.70 in 2024, as more teens started putting small amounts into the market (Greenlight, 2025).
Age 19 is when Gen Z started saving and investing on average, nearly half the age at which baby boomers started (35), per Charles Schwab's 2024 Modern Wealth Survey.

The parent conversation gap

The biggest gap is not in apps or curriculum. It is in how often money comes up at home.

32% of parents admit they have told their kids they cannot afford something when they actually could (T. Rowe Price survey).
79% of parents say they are more transparent with their kids about money than their own parents were with them, and 83% wish they had gotten more financial education as a kid, per an Intuit survey of 2,000 US parents of kids under 18 (March 2026).
53% of parents and grandparents believe kids today are less ready to manage money than they were at the same age, and only 29% think kids are better equipped. Grandparents worry more (61%) than parents (46%), per Wealth Enhancement's First Dollar survey of 1,000 US parents and grandparents (Wakefield Research, April 28 to May 4, 2026).

None of these numbers, on their own, prescribe what any single family should do. Read together, they point in one direction: kids are ready for real money decisions earlier than many parents assume, the gap between what schools teach and what kids need is real, and the families that close it do so through small repeated conversations rather than one-time lessons.

How we sourced these numbers

Every statistic here links to its primary source: the original survey, dataset, or report. We removed figures we could not trace to a named, checkable source, which is why this list is shorter than a typical roundup. When the underlying reports refresh, we update the numbers. Last verified September 2026.

Cite this page

Writing about kids and money? You are welcome to cite this roundup. Copy the reference below.

Penny Time. "Kids and Money Statistics 2026: Verified Facts for Parents." pennytime.app, 2026. https://www.pennytime.app/learn/blog/kids-money-in-2026-25-statistics-every-parent-s/

Frequently Asked Questions

: Greenlight's 2025 data puts the average weekly allowance at $13.15 for kids ages 5 to 19 in families that use Greenlight. Till Financial's analysis of 9,135 US families puts 16- and 17-year-olds higher, at roughly $20 to $45 per week.
: As of the latest count, 30 states require a standalone personal finance course, per Next Gen Personal Finance's State of Financial Education Report. As those requirements finish rolling out, about 76% of US public high school students (the Class of 2031) will be guaranteed a personal finance course.
: US 15-year-olds scored 505 on the OECD's PISA 2022 financial literacy test, statistically level with the OECD average of 498. About 17% scored below the baseline proficiency level, compared with 18% across OECD countries.
: US adults answer only about 49% of basic personal finance questions correctly on the TIAA Institute-GFLEC Personal Finance Index, a figure that has stayed roughly flat for years. Americans estimated that gaps in money knowledge cost them about $1,015 each in 2024, per the National Financial Educators Council.
: Gen Z started saving and investing at an average age of 19, according to Charles Schwab's 2024 Modern Wealth Survey. That is nearly half the age at which baby boomers started (35).
: By their own account, yes. In an Intuit survey of 2,000 US parents of kids under 18 (March 2026), 79% said they are more transparent with their kids about money than their own parents were with them.

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