PouchHow much allowance by age?
There’s no correct number. What a kid gets depends on what you can spare and what the money has to cover. Here’s a calculator for the usual rule of thumb, plus two sets of real figures to compare against.
The rule of thumb
Acorns and Wealthsimple both describe the same common rule of thumb: 50 cents to 1 dollar a week for each year of a kid’s age. For an 8-year-old that’s 4 to 8 dollars a week. Treat it as a starting point and adjust for your budget and for what you expect the money to pay for.
How many U.S. parents give an allowance
In a Wells Fargo survey run with Ipsos and published in May 2025, 71% of U.S. parents of kids aged 5 to 17 said they give an allowance: 43% regularly and 28% now and then.
Source: Ipsos, May 28, 2025.
What kids get in the Netherlands (Nibud)
The Dutch budget institute Nibud publishes what kids typically receive. These figures show what other families give, so use them to compare. Nibud suggests starting around age 6, when kids can tell coins apart.
| Age | Per week |
|---|---|
| 6 | €1.20 to €2.30 |
| 7 | €1.40 to €2.30 |
| 8 | €1.90 to €2.80 |
| 9 | €2.30 to €2.90 |
| 10 | €2.30 to €2.80 |
| 11 | €2.30 to €3.50 |
| 12 | €2.60 to €4.70 |
| Age | Per month |
|---|---|
| 12 | €20 to €22 |
| 13 | €20 to €25 |
| 14 | €25 to €32 |
| 15 | €25 to €35 |
| 16 | €25 to €43 |
| 17 | €25 to €40 |
| 18 | €40 to €50 |
Source: Nibud, Zakgeld (primary school figures from Nibud’s 2023 children’s study, secondary school figures from its 2025 pupils’ study). Checked November 14, 2026.
Questions to settle before you pick a number
- What does it cover? Treats only, or also things like school snacks, birthday gifts for friends or phone credit? The more it covers, the higher it needs to be.
- Is any of it tied to chores? A base amount plus paid extras is a common middle path.
- When does it go up? A fixed day each year, like a birthday, saves you a negotiation every month.
- Does some of it get saved? A savings goal makes this concrete. In Pouch, a progress bar shows how close they are.