Halifax finds third of children aged eight to 15 worry about money
One in three children as young as eight worries about money, a report has found.
One in three children as young as eight worries about money, a report has found.
When asked: "Do you ever worry about money?", 33% of youngsters aged between eight and 15 said they did - and boys appear more likely to pick up on their parents' financial concerns than girls - Halifax found.
Despite boys receiving more weekly pocket money than girls on average, at £6.93 versus £6.16 for girls, 37% of boys worry about money, compared with 30% of girls.
When similar research was carried out 12 months ago, there was no particular gender divide, Halifax said.
The research also found big differences in money worries depending on where children live.
More than half (54%) of children in London worry about money.
Children in London were found to be twice as likely to worry about money than those in Wales and the South West of England, with just 27% of children there expressing this concern.
Nearly nine in 10 (88%) parents say that they worry about money themselves.
The research suggests parents are also aware of their children's money worries, with a third (33%) of parents surveyed saying they think their children worry about cash.
Parents in London were also more likely to think their children worry about money, with 52% of parents there saying this was the case.
The research also suggests that parents are becoming more confident in teaching their children the value of pounds and pence.
More than four in five (83%) of parents feel comfortable talking about money with their children, up from just over three-quarters (76%) in 2015.
When it comes to improving their knowledge of banking, nearly two-thirds (63%) of children want to learn about bank accounts and more than a quarter (26%) want to increase their knowledge of credit cards.
Giles Martin, head of Halifax Savings, said: "It is concerning that one in three children worry about money. This is likely to be a reflection of young people picking up on their parents' financial anxieties and shows how money issues continue to affect many families.
"Boys seem more switched on to these concerns, as despite receiving significantly more pocket money than girls, they are now more likely to worry.
"It is encouraging, however, that parents are now more comfortable talking to their children about money.
"With nearly two thirds of children keen to understand more about banking, it is clear these conversations are appreciated."
The research also found that borrowing money starts at an early age. Nearly one in five (19%) children say they borrow money, with more boys (21%) admitting to this than girls (18%).
Children in London were most likely to borrow cash, with 30% doing so, and those in Scotland the least likely to borrow, with just 14% doing this.
Borrowing also tended to increase with age. Nearly one in four (24%) 15-year-olds borrow money, compared with just 16% of eight-year-olds.
Three in 10 (29%) children said they lend money to other people. Nearly a third of boys (32%) lend money to others, compared with just over a quarter (26%) of girls.
Older children seem more likely to spread their cash around, with two in five (40%) 15-year-olds saying they offer to lend money, in comparison to less than one in five (17%) nine year-olds.
More than 1,200 children aged between eight and 15 and more than 500 parents were surveyed for the report.
Here are the percentages of children across Britain who worry about money, according to Halifax:
:: Scotland, 31%
:: North East/Yorkshire and the Humber, 30%
:: North West, 35%
:: East and West Midlands, 33%
:: South East/East of England, 29%
:: London, 54%
:: Wales and the South West, 27%