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Update the browserAlthough 65% of parents of children aged 3 - 7 assess their financial knowledge as good, only 6% consider it to be high. At the same time, as many as three out of four respondents recognise that financial education improves children’s future situation and influences their decisions in adult life. However, a report by the Bank Millennium Foundation clearly indicates a gap between declared knowledge and its practical understanding - both among the youngest and adults.
Parents’ declarations show that pre-school children come into contact with money at an early stage of life and learn basic financial behaviours, such as saving money in a piggy bank. They also relatively quickly acquire an understanding of how money functions in everyday situations.
– For over a decade, we have been conducting educational workshops in pre-schools and have observed a clear increase in children’s awareness and openness to financial topics. An important factor here is the dynamic development of technology, which affects the everyday functioning of families - including the way they use financial services such as electronic banking. By observing the behaviour of adults, children acquire knowledge and develop financial intuition faster than just a few years ago - says Paulina Wołosz-Sitarek, Member of the Management Board of the Bank Millennium Foundation.
Financial knowledge of Poles: practical rather than expert knowledge
Although most parents of pre-school children manage their finances well, only a small percentage possess knowledge that can be considered advanced. 65% of respondents assess their knowledge as “rather good”, i.e. sufficient to make every day financial decisions. At the same time, 26% admit that their familiarity with the subject is average and that they are not interested in this area. Only 6% of parents consider themselves very knowledgeable about finance. As a result, a practical level dominates - one that allows people to cope on a daily basis but does not always support the conscious transfer of knowledge to children.
At the same time, awareness of the importance of financial education is high – around 75% of parents believe that it improves children’s future financial situation, influences their decisions in adult life and prepares them to use financial services. More than half of respondents also point to the importance of education in the context of financial security and saving.
Do pre-school children know what an ATM and cash are?
According to parents of children aged 3 - 7, they are most familiar with the concept of cash - 74% understand it, and a further 17% recognise it. In the case of saving, 61% of children understand the concept, while another 25% recognise it. Lower percentages relate to more digital forms of finance: 55% understand what a payment card is, 55% understand online shopping, and 54% understand what an ATM is. In the case of a bank account, the level of understanding drops to 44% (with 35% recognising the term). The lowest percentage relates to phone payments - 39% of pre-school children understand the concept, and 31% recognise it. Parents’ responses show that children best understand concepts related to direct experience, while digital mechanisms and more abstract concepts are more difficult for them.
Children’s independence in the eyes of their parents
Parents assess their children as relatively independent, especially in simple activities. According to them, 65% of pre-school children are able to put money aside in a piggy bank, and 54% understand that they cannot buy everything because they have a limited amount of money. The same percentage (54%) can pack a backpack, and 47% can prepare a simple meal. As many as 62% of children can independently switch on a cartoon on a device, and 48% are able to choose a product and pay for it at the checkout. The lowest result concerns more demanding skills - 41% of the youngest can count their savings.
– Today, many parents equate independence not with real agency, but rather with the ability to use devices, perform simple tasks or “cope” in safe, controlled conditions. Meanwhile, independence is primarily about having the opportunity to make imperfect decisions and bear their consequences. As adults, we are creating an increasingly tight protective umbrella over children. We step in for them because it is faster, better and more accurate. As a result, the youngest increasingly rarely have the space to act in their own way, even if it means mistakes, mess or loss - emphasises Agata Battek, trainer and educator, founder of the VERBA foundation.
The results of the Bank Millennium Foundation report show that it is becoming crucial to develop skills such as planning, decision-making and understanding consequences - i.e. abilities that directly translate into future financial independence. The challenge remains the transition from intuitive knowledge to conscious understanding and decision-making. It is precisely this stage that will be of the greatest importance for children’s future financial independence.
About the survey
The survey commissioned by the Bank Millennium Foundation was carried out by the independent research agency IBRiS using the CAWI (Computer-Assisted Web Interview) method, which consists in conducting online surveys. The survey involved 1000 respondents – parents of preschool children, i.e. aged 3 to 7.
The data collection took place at the turn of December 2025 and January 2026. The research sample was selected in a way that allows for results representative of the population of parents of children of this age.
The results obtained were compared with the results of a similar study conducted in 2020, which allowed for the analysis of changes occurring over a period of five years. It is worth noting that the analysed period included a time of significant and unpredictable social and economic events that could have had an impact on the attitudes and opinions of the respondents.
About the Bank Millennium Foundation
The Bank Millennium Foundation, acting under the slogan “We multiply social capital”, has been supporting projects that engage local communities for 35 years. In its activities, it focuses on three areas: financial education, cultural education and the promotion of volunteering.
For a decade, the Foundation has been conducting educational activities aimed at introducing the youngest children to the basics of finance in a simple and engaging way, tailored to pre-school age. The programme includes workshops, educational materials in the form of books, stories and films, as well as guides for parents and caregivers. The "Financial ABCs" workshops are conducted all over Poland, and their scenarios have been developed so that children learn through play. Educational materials provided to pre-schools can be used to continue financial education. From 2016 to the end of 2025, the Bank Millennium Foundation has trained nearly 100,000 children through 4,012 educational workshops delivered in 1,194 pre-school institutions across Poland.
For more information go to: https://www.bankmillennium.pl/o-banku/fundacjaLink opens in a new window.