Depending on the family situation or age, adolescents receive more or less pocket money. The differences are even more pronounced from region to region.
A pickpocket is a frequently used way to make a child responsible. Saving money, spending it (sometimes), planning purchases, these are all experiences that allow future adults to understand the value of money. Managing a small amount also promotes self-confidence, because with this amount, parents entrust the child with a certain autonomy.
In France, the majority of adolescents (57%) between the ages of 10 and 18 receive pocket money, estimates Pixpay, a company that offers payment cards for teenagers. In more detail, 86% receive it every month, while 14% receive it weekly. In 2023, French adolescents earn an average of 36 euros per month. The figure is 3 euros higher than the previous year.
Obviously, not all teenagers earn that much. Several factors explain these differences: the wishes of the parents, the age of the adolescent, the family situation of each household, the number of dependent children and of course… the income of the parents.
And in general, it’s better for teenagers to live in certain regions than others. According to the Pixpay barometer, Corsican adolescents are the richest with an average of 48.9 euros per month. The PACA region is in second place. On the other side of the spectrum, the poorest teenagers are Normans. On average, they receive only 28.4 euros per month. Center Val de Loire is not far ahead, with 40 cents more.
Furthermore, parents are more generous as teenagers age and develop needs. According to the latest ‘teens and money’ barometer published by Pixpay, in September 2023, teenagers will see their pocket money almost double between their 10th and 18th birthdays. Thus, the average monthly amount of pocket money for a 10-year-old is 24 euros, while for an 18-year-old it reaches 56 euros.
On average, fathers give 41.5 euros of monthly pocket money compared to 33.8 euros for mothers. And that gap widens as teenagers grow up. It goes from 4 euros for children aged 10-12 to 16 euros for those aged 18 and over. But there is no luck for teenagers, in 70% of families mothers are the ones who have pocket money!