March 28, 2023, London - Klarna, a leading global payments provider and shopping service, today reveals UK consumers prefer chatting politics, fertility and break-ups than finances, but that’s set to change with young people feeling increasingly comfortable talking about money with friends and family. The new findings from Klarna and YouGov’s research come as Klarna launches its ‘Money Talks’ card game for 2023 to get Brits of all ages comfortable discussing their finances. 

While the cost of living crisis has increased the number of UK adults worrying about their finances by 4% (44% in 2022 vs. 48% in 2023), the crisis could also be leading to healthier conversations around money. The majority of UK adults now feel comfortable discussing personal finances with friends and family, up by 28% from last year when Klarna and YouGov last polled the nation*. Out of any age group, Gen Z feel the most at ease, with 67% now feeling comfortable talking about money. 

To help get even more consumers discussing their finances, today Klarna is launching its latest version of its Money Talks card game for 2023. Money Talks is designed to help consumers have open conversations about money. There are three levels and a wildcard round, with each level touching on a different theme including relationships, personal habits, mindsets and financial basics. Since the first version launched three years ago, the game has been played over 40,000 times.

Alex Marsh, Head of Klarna UK, says: “Our research tells an encouraging story about how young Brits are taking greater control of their personal finances and breaking taboos by being more open with how they manage their money with friends and family, but we want to get even more people talking and opening up. Our Money Talks game does just that - helping people talk honestly about their spending habits, shopping experiences, and overall financial health.”

New findings from Klarna’s Money Management Pulse survey suggests young Brits' increased openness to discussing their personal finances can be attributed to a wider trend around increased financial responsibility. A staggering 79% of Millennials now say they are interested in their personal finances, compared to 64% just one year prior. This is significantly higher than older generations, with only 54% of Gen X and 50% of Baby Boomers saying the same. 

The data also shows younger generations are taking greater control of their finances by saving a bigger share of their income. Gen Z now save 20% of their income, compared to 15% one year ago, and Millennials have upped the proportion they save to 19% from 16% last year. Meanwhile, older generations continue to save 12% of their income, the same as last year.

More generally, 90% of Millennials and 93% of Gen Z now save part of their income, up from 84% and 87% respectively last year. By contrast, the proportion Gen X and Baby Boomers save has declined slightly, with 74% and 77% respectively putting money aside, down from 79% for both age groups last year.

*Polling by YouGov in 2022 revealed 51% of UK adults said they felt comfortable discussing personal finances with friends and family. In 2021, polling from YouGov revealed 40% of UK adults said they felt comfortable discussing personal finances with friends and family.

-ENDS-

Notes to editors.

• YouGov Polling was conducted between 27-30th January 2023 and between 20-21st January 2022. 
• Klarna’s Money Management Pulse, which is updated on a quarterly basis, continuously explores evolving shopping habits in 17 countries across 3 continents. The latest update includes insights from a survey with 21,770 consumers, out of which 1,427 were UK shoppers.
• Age demographics: 
  • Gen Z  - Age 18-25
  • Millennials - Age 26-41
  • Gen X - Age 42-57
  • Baby Boomer - Age 58-76