More than a third of consumers expect to be financially worse off this year, compared with 2025. 22% think they will be better off.
A YouGov poll found that while 36% expect to be worse off, the largest group – 37% – believe the financial situation will be about the same.
Age differences are pronounced: among 18–24-year-olds, 41% expect to be better off and 17% worse off, making them the most likely age group to anticipate improvement. Expectations shift with age, and among those aged 55 and over, 11% expect to be better off while 44% expect to be worse off. Women are slightly more likely than men to expect their finances to worsen (38% vs 34%).
Just over half of UK adults, 51%, say they have a budget for 2026, a rise from 2025’s 46%. Two in five say they do not have a budget for 2026.
More than half of 18–24-year-olds (58%) and 57% of 25–34-year-olds say they have a budget in place. The share of those aged 55 and over who have a budget is not far behind (45%), but at the same time 50% say they do not have a budget. Women are more likely than men to budget, at 55% compared with 47%.
Among those who are budgeting in 2026, the primary motivation is to ensure they have enough money for essentials such as food, rent and bills (61%).
43% say they want to increase savings in general, and 41% are budgeting to stop over-spending. Around a third (34%) are saving for something specific such as a house deposit or holiday, while 17% are budgeting to manage debt.
Older consumers are especially likely to cite ensuring coverage of essentials, with 66% of those aged 45–54 and 64% of those aged 55 and over selecting this reason. Younger adults are more likely to be saving in general and for a specific goal. Managing debt is most common among those aged 35–44 (27%).
The survey was conducted online between 6-9 February 2026, with a nationally representative sample of 2,087 adults (aged 16 or older) in Great Britain. Data figures have been weighted by age, gender, education, region and social grade to be representative of all adults in Great Britain (16 years or older) and reflect the latest ONS population estimates.
