UK financial wellbeing has declined for the first time, while the gender gap has widened by nearly a third, according to new research by financial wellbeing platform Stream.
Its The state of financial wellbeing 2025 report, which has been published in partnership with behavioural scientists at CogCo, is underpinned by Stream’s FinWell Index, designed to track the nation’s financial wellbeing and the role employers play in it.
The gender gap in financial wellbeing has widened by 29%, from 5.2 in 2024 to 6.7 in 2025. Women’s overall financial wellbeing scores dropped from 97.9 to 95.8, while men’s remained largely stable.
Young people aged 18-24 years have the lowest financial wellbeing score of any age group at 87.7, while those aged 75 and older score 30 points higher, at 117.7. Those aged 25-34 years saw a 4.7 point improvement year on year.
When it comes to financial resilience, women’s scores fell by 3.9 points and men’s increased by 1.2. Women also reported lower levels of subjective financial wellbeing, having more guilt, worry and dissatisfaction about their finances.
Financial capabilities have declined, with debt management scores falling by 2.5% and the ability to pay for all necessary expenses by 2.4%.
Peter Briffett, chief executive officer (CEO) and co-founder of Stream, said: “When people are financially secure, they’re less stressed, more engaged and more productive, outcomes that benefit both employees and employers. Employers also play a crucial role in enhancing the financial wellbeing of their workforce, from tools that help employees track their earnings and save, to support that helps them plan ahead for the future by finding and consolidating lost pensions.”
Owain Service, CEO and co-founder of CogCo, added: “The decline in the nation’s overall financial wellbeing suggests a widening gap between confidence and capability across the board. But most concerning is the growing gap between men and women. Women aren’t just earning less, they are also finding it harder to access the tools and benefits that build resilience. Closing that structural gap has to be a priority.”
