UVA Darden study: UK girls aged 6–10 get 6–11% less money from parents than boys

A working paper co-authored by Ray Charles "Chuck" Howard, associate professor at the UVA Darden School of Business, analyzed 126 million money transfers to 1.15 million children in the United Kingdom from 2017 to 2023, according to newswise.com. The transfers were linked to 101 million purchases. Girls aged 6 to 10 received 6–11% less money per month than boys of the same age, the authors report. newswise.comnewswise.comnewswise.comOpen source ↗

The data come from a financial app used by families. It includes a debit card for children and separates income into regular allowances, ad hoc transfers, monetary gifts and payments for household tasks. The dataset covers about 800 000 parents. Howard noted that earlier studies of children's pocket money relied on self-reported surveys. newswise.comnewswise.comnewswise.comOpen source ↗

Gap by age and savings

From age 11 to 15 the gap narrows and then reverses: by about age 15, girls receive somewhat more per month than boys. Even so, Howard and colleagues estimate that it takes girls almost a decade to reach monthly income parity. At age 15, girls still have about 6.5% less in savings than boys. newswise.comnewswise.comnewswise.comOpen source ↗

The researchers also found a gender gap between siblings, including twins. Howard described the effect as smaller, but still present. newswise.comnewswise.comnewswise.comOpen source ↗

Sources of the gap and limits

Allowances make up about 25% of children's income and show no gender difference, likely because the app suggests amounts by age. Ad hoc transfers and gifts account for 75% of income, and that is where the gap appears. In payments for household tasks, girls do more tasks but receive less money per task. newswise.comnewswise.comnewswise.comOpen source ↗

The authors point to consumption patterns: regardless of age, boys spend more on video games and girls spend more on clothes and accessories. Howard said that games prompt frequent micro purchases, so boys receive money more often during childhood. The frequency evens out in adolescence as girls gain independence. newswise.comnewswise.comnewswise.comOpen source ↗

The study covers only UK families who use the app. The researchers suspect the gap there is smaller than in the wider population, because these parents pay for an app meant to teach children about money and the UK ranks fifth in the World Economic Forum's 2026 Global Gender Gap Index. They say more research is needed to learn whether similar gaps exist elsewhere. newswise.comnewswise.comnewswise.comOpen source ↗

Howard recommends folding extra requests into the allowance: if a child gets $40 a month, of which $20 is a weekly allowance and $20 comes from separate requests, give a $40 allowance instead. He also suggests that a younger sibling receive what the older one got at the same age, possibly adjusted for inflation. The co-authors are Christian Engels and Marcel Lukas of the University of St Andrews and Dennis Philip of Durham University. newswise.comnewswise.comnewswise.comOpen source ↗