Girls receive less pocket money than boys and pay higher prices for toys and games, a new study from Starling Bank and Loughborough University reveals. According to the study of more than 4,000 parents, boys receive, on average, 20% more pocket money than girls (£3 vs. £2.50 per week), making them £26 better off a year. An audit of 450 toys, games and books also reveals that items promoted to girls cost 5% more than those for boys on average (£10.00 vs £9.48), reducing girls’ purchasing power even further.
The findings are being released to highlight Equal Pocket Money Day (#MakePocketMoneyEqual), which lands on Wednesday, October 19. On this day, girls effectively stop earning pocket money relative to boys because of the pocket money pay gap.
The study discovered that pocket money isn’t earnt equally. Boys are more likely than girls to have their pocket money linked to how much they ask for, with 8% more boys doing so. Boys are also more likely to have their pocket money assessed via academic performance (14% more boys are assessed this way). Girls, on the other hand, are more likely to receive pocket money if they have completed their chores (12%), and are more likely to be rewarded for good behaviour (6%).
