Money mapped

Financial empowerment across the UK’s nations and regions 

Illustration of a savings jar containing money alongside a statistic showing that Londoners report the highest average savings from AI-powered financial advice. Respondents in London reported average savings of £562 compared with a UK average of £399, equivalent to 41% higher reported savings.

Money mapped explores how people across the UK use digital tools to manage money and pursue different financial goals. The findings show three overlapping pathways to financial empowerment: Progress through saving, investing and planning ahead; Stability through budgeting and financial control; and Resilience through managing everyday costs and reducing debt. 

Drawing on insights¹ from Lloyds Banking Group’s Consumer Digital Index², Money mapped explores how digitally engaged adults across the UK's nations and regions ³, use digital tools ⁴, including AI, and how that use appears to be associated with financial behaviours, confidence and outcomes. Financial empowerment is defined as having the confidence, capability and control to make informed financial decisions. 

This Spotlight focuses on people who are already online and should be considered alongside the wider Consumer Digital Index. It does not assess digital access or inclusion directly. 

Key findings

Context and methodology

Exploring insights by nation and region

Looking ahead

The geography of financial empowerment

Portrait image accompanying a quotation from Jas Singh, OBE, CEO, Consumer at Lloyds Banking Group. The quote reads: “The better we understand people’s priorities across the UK, the better we can offer tools that work for them.”

Look at a map of the UK and you see a rich variety of places, each shaped by its own economy, communities and ways of life. The same is true of how people manage their money, combining online and offline approaches and putting digital tools to work in different ways. 

Yet beneath those differences, people are navigating many of the same financial questions: how to manage their money today, prepare for tomorrow, and make the most of what they have. Where people live can shape how those questions are experienced, and which tools they use to make their ambitions a reality. 

Put simply, place matters. 

Our second Spotlight brings those regional differences to life. Money mapped follows the evidence across the UK’s twelve regions and four nations, exploring how communities in each area use digital tools and AI, and how these technologies help achieve their financial goals. 

Read the full foreword

    • This Spotlight draws on insights from Lloyds Banking Group's Consumer Digital Index (CDI), which combines behavioural and survey data. The findings in this Spotlight are based on an online survey of 5,000 UK adults, nationally representative by age, gender and region, conducted between 3 and 28 July 2025. 
    • As the survey was completed online, respondents were digitally engaged and able to participate online. The report explores how people who are already online use banking apps, websites, AI and other services to manage money. It is not an assessment of digital connectivity, digital inclusion, access to particular banking channels or the availability of in-person banking services. 
    • Findings, including those relating to AI usage and reported savings, are based on self-reported survey data and reflect reported behaviours, attitudes and perceptions at the time of fieldwork. Self-reported savings are not verified against transactional data and should be interpreted as perceived impacts rather than guaranteed outcomes. As AI technologies and their use continue to evolve rapidly, current levels of adoption and perceptions of opportunities and risks may differ from those captured in the survey. 
    • Nations and regions are used as a contextual lens to explore differences in financial priorities, confidence, behaviours and reported outcomes. Findings should not be interpreted as fixed characteristics of people or places, as evidence that geography alone determines outcomes, or as a ranking of nations and regions. 
    • The report describes patterns and associations in survey responses, which should not be interpreted as evidence of causation. Banking apps, online services, AI, trusted guidance and human support may play different roles depending on people’s needs and circumstances.  
    • See footnotes for definitions and further information on the data and methodology’

Key findings

Illustration of a savings jar containing money alongside a statistic showing that Londoners report the highest average savings from AI-powered financial advice. Respondents in London reported average savings of £562 compared with a UK average of £399, equivalent to 41% higher reported savings.

Financial empowerment does not look the same everywhere.  

Across the UK's nations and regions, people report different priorities, levels of confidence and financial outcomes. The report's central finding is that the biggest differences are not simply whether people use digital tools, but what those tools appear to help them achieve. Three broad and overlapping pathways emerge: Progress, Stability and Resilience. 

The analysis reveals: 

Different parts of the UK stand out for different financial goals

Digital tools are now widespread for personal finance with nearly nine in ten users in every nation and region using them weekly. However, different patterns emerge:  

  • Yorkshire and the Humber leads the UK for using digital tools to help with budgeting and tracking spending (44%).  
  • The East Midlands has the highest share saying digital tools have helped them pay off debt (24%). 
  • And digital tool users in Wales are the most likely to say they have helped them manage or grow investments, pensions or ISAs (23%). 

 

London is emerging as the UK's AI finance capital

More than three-quarters (76%) of respondents in London have used AI for personal finance in the past year, while almost half (49%) use it daily or weekly.

Among London AI users, 48% say they have used AI for investment research, and 27% report saving £600 or more after following AI recommendations, including nearly one in five (19%) who report saving at least £1,000. Londoners report the highest average savings from AI-powered financial advice (£562), compared with a UK average of £399 and £276 in the East Midlands.⁵ 

 

Confidence using digital tools tells only part of a region’s financial story

In Northern Ireland, 30%⁶ of digital tool users say digital tools have helped them set and achieve financial goals, the highest rate in the UK, despite respondents reporting the UK's lowest level of financial knowledge (76%).

Meanwhile, Scotland records the UK's highest confidence in managing money digitally (83%), while London records the lowest (75%). Together, the findings suggest financial knowledge, confidence and outcomes do not always move together, showing that financial empowerment needs to be understood through people’s different goals. 

See the full key findings

Financial empowerment by nation and region

The findings below explore how financial empowerment is experienced across the UK's nations and regions, highlighting different strengths, priorities and opportunities for supporting financial progress in ways that reflect local needs and circumstances.

  • The UK’s AI finance capital

    At a glance

    • 76% have used AI tools for personal finance in the past year, the highest rate in the UK – a 20pp gap from the national average. 
    • Nearly half (49%) use AI for personal finance weekly or daily – the highest rate in the UK. 
    • Among those who have used AI for personal finance, 91%⁵ report saving at least some money after following AI recommendations or insights. Despite leading adoption of digital and AI-enabled finance, respondents in London report the UK's lowest confidence in using digital tools to manage money.  
    • Londoners are the UK's most investment-focused, with 39% prioritising growing investments. 

    London stands apart for AI adoption and its use in future-focused financial activities. More than three quarters of respondents say they have used AI tools for personal finance in the past year, while investment research and savings planning are particularly prominent among AI users.  

    Investment growth and retirement saving also feature strongly among current financial priorities. However, confidence in managing money digitally is lower than elsewhere in the UK. 

    London shows strong characteristics of a Progress pathway, with people appearing more likely to embrace new technologies and focus on longer-term financial goals. The opportunity is to ensure rapid adoption is matched by financial understanding, trust and informed decision-making. 

    Money Mapped statistics for London highlighting the UK’s highest levels of digital financial tool use. Ninety-two per cent use digital tools weekly to manage their finances, 79% feel confident managing money digitally and 60% have used AI for personal finance in the past year. Thirty per cent say digital tools help them achieve financial goals and 27% say saving for a special occasion is their top financial priority.

    What's shaping the London profile

    • London records the UK's highest use of AI for personal finance, both overall and among regular users. 
    • Londoners are more likely to prioritise investing and retirement saving than elsewhere in the UK. 
    • AI appears particularly embedded in financial research, savings planning and investment decision-making. 
    • Despite leading adoption of digital and AI-enabled finance, confidence in using digital tools remains lower than elsewhere in the UK. 

    Opportunities for London

    • Help close the gap between adoption and confidence, enabling more people to turn digital engagement into stronger financial outcomes. 
    • Build trust and assurance around AI-supported financial information and decision-making 
    • Support informed investment behaviours as more people turn to digital platforms and AI-enabled tools 
    • Ensure rapid adoption of new technologies is accompanied by strong financial understanding and confidence 

  • Britain’s digital wealth management hotspot

    At a glance

    • Wales stands out for particularly high financial engagement and financial knowledge. 
    • Digital money management is frequent among users, with 91% managing or keeping track of their finances digitally at least once a week. 
    • Digital tool users in Wales are more likely than elsewhere to say these tools have helped them manage or grow investments, pensions or ISAs. 
    • Regular saving and emergency-fund building provide further foundations for longer-term financial security.  

    Wales combines particularly high financial engagement and knowledge with frequent digital money management. Among digital tool users, 91% manage or keep track of their finances digitally at least once a week, while reported benefits include regular saving and support with investments, pensions and ISAs. 

    Wales is particularly distinctive for longer-term digital money management: 23% of digital tool users say digital tools have helped them manage or grow investments, pensions or ISAs, compared with 16% nationally. 

    These findings point to a financially engaged and forward-looking profile. Wales shows characteristics of a Progress pathway, with an opportunity to build on established habits so that saving, planning and everyday money management support preparedness and longer-term security. 

    Money Mapped data for Wales showing high levels of financial engagement and digital tool use. Eighty-six per cent are engaged with their finances, 83% use digital tools weekly and 78% feel confident managing money digitally. Fifty per cent say managing day-to-day expenses is their top financial priority and 28% use AI for personal finance weekly or daily.

    What’s shaping the Welsh profile 

    • High financial engagement and knowledge provide strong foundations for informed decision-making. 
    • Digital money management is frequent among users. 
    • Digital tools are particularly associated with managing or growing investments, pensions and ISAs, alongside regular saving. 
    • The opportunity is to build on these positive foundations to support preparedness and longer-term financial security. 

    Opportunities for Wales

    • Build on strong engagement and knowledge to support confident longer-term financial decisions. 
    • Help more people connect everyday digital money management with saving, pensions, ISAs and investments. 
    • Support people to turn established saving and planning habits into lasting financial security. 
    • Ensure digital support for longer-term goals remains clear, trusted and appropriate to people’s circumstances.

  • The home of forward planning online

    At a glance

    • Financial security and planning ahead remain important priorities. 
    • Financial engagement is high and use of digital tools to manage finances is in line with the UK average. 
    • Regular use of AI for personal finance remains lower than elsewhere in the UK. 
    • The opportunity is to build confidence in using newer tools to support longer-term financial goals. 

    The South East combines high financial engagement with established digital money management and a focus on future security, including retirement saving and emergency planning. 

    Regular AI use is less prominent than elsewhere in the UK, suggesting a measured approach to newer technologies rather than a lack of engagement with digital finance generally. 

    The South East shows characteristics of a Stability pathway. The opportunity is to demonstrate where newer tools add practical value alongside established sources of support. 

    Money Mapped statistics for the South East highlighting strong digital confidence and financial engagement. Eighty-seven per cent use digital tools weekly, 81% feel confident managing money digitally and 85% are engaged with their finances. Half of respondents have used AI for insurance comparison and advice, while 42% of people concerned about digital tools prefer to speak to a person for financial advice.

    What’s shaping the South East profile 

    • High financial engagement provides a foundation for financial decision-making. 
    • Retirement saving and building an emergency fund remain important priorities. 
    • Digital money management is established, although confidence and reported saving benefits are slightly below the UK average. 
    • Regular AI use remains lower, suggesting adoption of newer tools is more selective. 

    Opportunities for the South East

    • Help people use digital and AI-enabled tools to support long-term financial goals. 
    • Build confidence in newer tools and services that support saving and planning ahead. 
    • Translate future-focused financial priorities into more consistent outcomes. 
    • Support future-focused behaviours through trusted, practical digital experiences. 

  • Where digital control comes first

    At a glance

    • Digital money management is routine among users, with 88% using digital tools at least once a week to manage or keep track of their finances. 
    • Digital tools appear particularly effective at supporting everyday control, with 48% of users saying these tools help them feel more in control of their finances. 
    • Financial priorities are centred on household stability, including paying off debt, building an emergency fund and supporting family or dependants. 
    • AI is being used selectively, with savings goals and planning its clearest role among users. 

    The South West stands out for the sense of everyday control associated with digital money management. Nearly half of digital tool users say these tools help them feel more in control, while regular saving is also a commonly reported benefit. 

    Financial priorities focus on household stability, including paying off debt, building an emergency fund and supporting family or dependants. Among those who have used AI for personal finance, savings goals and planning are also prominent. 

    The South West shows characteristics of a Stability pathway. The opportunity is to build on everyday control so that it supports greater resilience and longer-term progress. 

    Money Mapped data for the South West showing high financial engagement alongside cautious adoption of AI. Eighty-four per cent are engaged with their finances, 79% feel knowledgeable about financial decisions and 72% use digital tools to manage money. Twenty-three per cent use AI weekly or daily for personal finance, while 46% trust traditional institutions more than AI for financial advice.

    What’s shaping the South West profile 

    • Digital money management is routine among users, with most using digital tools at least once a week to manage or keep track of their finances. 
    • Digital tools appear particularly effective at supporting a sense of everyday financial control. 
    • Financial priorities are focused on stability and household security, including managing expenses, paying off debt, building an emergency fund and supporting family or dependants. 
    • AI use is more selective, but among users it is commonly applied to savings goals and planning. 

    Opportunities for the South West

    • Build on strong day-to-day financial control so that it supports greater resilience and longer-term progress. 
    • Support households to turn priorities such as debt reduction and emergency saving into sustained financial security. 
    • Develop trusted digital and AI-enabled tools that reinforce practical behaviours, including saving, planning and staying on top of money. 
    • Ensure support remains relevant to different household circumstances, priorities and levels of confidence.

  • Searching for better value online

    At a glance

    • Financial engagement is high, with 86% actively engaged with their finances. 
    • Digital tools are established in everyday money management, although frequency of use is lower than elsewhere in the UK. 
    • People are less likely than elsewhere in the UK to say digital tools help them feel in control of their finances. 
    • The central opportunity is to strengthen the practical value and outcomes people experience from digital tools. 

    Respondents in the East of England report high financial engagement. However, digital tool users are less likely than elsewhere to say those tools help them feel more in control of their finances. 

    The East of England shows characteristics of a Stability pathway, with an opportunity to focus on the practical value and outcomes people experience, helping digital money management support greater confidence and control. 

    Money Mapped statistics for the East of England showing strong digital financial habits. Eighty-six per cent use digital tools weekly, 79% feel confident managing money digitally and 85% are engaged with their finances. Fifty-three per cent have used AI for personal finance in the past 12 months and 36% prioritise paying off debt.

    What’s shaping the East of England profile 

    • High financial engagement and a strong focus on maintaining stability through managing day-to-day costs and emergency saving. 
    • Widespread use of digital tools, supporting routine money management. 
    • Despite using digital tools regularly, people are less likely to say those tools help them feel in control of their finances. 
    • Lower willingness to consider AI-based financial advice suggests the value and relevance of newer tools may not yet be clear to everyone. 

    Opportunities for the East of England

    • Help more people translate regular digital engagement into a stronger sense of financial control. 
    • Demonstrate practical financial outcomes from digital tools, not simply usage. 
    • Strengthen trust in digital and AI-enabled services through transparency, reliability and clear support.  
    • Build confidence in digital decision-making, particularly for more complex financial choices  

  • The UK’s digital budgeting capital

    At a glance

    • Digital tools are particularly associated with budgeting and tracking spending. 
    • Confidence in digital money management is above the UK average. 
    • People are also more likely to say digital tools help them feel in control of their finances. 
    • The opportunity is to turn strong day-to-day money-management habits into saving and longer-term progress.

    Yorkshire and the Humber stands out for the practical use of digital tools, particularly for budgeting and tracking spending. These behaviours sit alongside relatively strong digital confidence and a greater reported sense of financial control. 

    Among AI users, insurance comparison and advice is also particularly prominent, extending the practical comparison theme beyond everyday budgeting. 

    The region shows characteristics of a Stability pathway. The opportunity is to build on these practical habits so they support saving, confident decision-making and longer-term progress. 

    Money Mapped data for Yorkshire and the Humber showing high levels of financial knowledge and engagement. Eighty-eight per cent say they have enough knowledge to make informed financial decisions, 87% are engaged with their finances and 82% feel confident managing money digitally. Forty-six per cent say saving for a holiday or major purchase is their top financial goal.

    What’s shaping the Yorkshire and the Humber profile 

    • Strong financial engagement and knowledge provide a foundation for everyday money management. 
    • Digital tools are used particularly for budgeting and tracking spending. 
    • Digital confidence and the reported sense of control associated with digital tools are above the UK average. 
    • The opportunity is to extend practical budgeting behaviours into saving and longer-term planning. 

    Opportunities for Yorkshire and the Humber

    • Help more people build on strong budgeting habits so they support saving and longer-term planning. 
    • Use practical digital insights to make progress towards financial goals clearer and more actionable. 
    • Extend the sense of control associated with digital tools into broader financial resilience. 
    • Translate everyday money-management behaviours into sustained financial progress.

  • Where debt reduction goes digital

    At a glance

    • Managing costs and paying down debt are defining financial priorities. 
    • Digital tools appear particularly useful in supporting debt reduction. 
    • The opportunity is to build on reported debt-reduction benefits and connect everyday money management with saving and longer-term financial security. 

    The East Midlands shows strong engagement with managing day-to-day costs and paying down debt. Among digital tool users, debt reduction is a particularly prominent reported benefit, indicating that digital money management is supporting immediate financial priorities. 

    The East Midlands shows characteristics of both the Stability and Resilience pathways, with an opportunity to help people build on progress, connecting effective debt management and everyday control with saving and longer-term financial security.

    Money Mapped statistics for the East Midlands showing strong digital financial engagement and growing AI use. Eighty-seven per cent use digital tools weekly, 82% feel confident managing money digitally and 84% feel knowledgeable about financial decisions. Thirty-three per cent use AI for personal finance weekly or daily, while 36% prioritise building an emergency fund.

    What’s shaping the East Midlands profile 

    • Strong financial engagement and focus on immediate priorities, particularly managing costs and paying off debt. 
    • Regular use of digital tools supports everyday money management, with 86% of users managing finances digitally at least weekly.  
    • Digital tools appear particularly effective at supporting debt reduction. 

    Opportunities for the East Midlands

    • Help more people translate successful debt reduction behaviours into longer-term financial resilience. 
    • Support people to move from managing immediate pressures towards planning ahead. 
    • Ensure digital tools support a broader range of financial goals, not just day-to-day management.

  • Where trust shapes AI use

    At a glance

    • Strong financial knowledge is providing a solid base for decision-making. 
    • AI use is above the UK average, with many using it for practical financial tasks. 
    • Concern about AI bias affecting financial recommendations is particularly pronounced. 
    • The opportunity is to turn confidence and capability into stronger financial action. 

    The West Midlands combines strong financial knowledge and digital confidence with above-average regular use of AI for personal finance. Among AI users, debt-management strategies are also a relatively prominent application. 

    At the same time, concern about bias affecting AI recommendations is particularly pronounced. This suggests that adoption does not remove the need for transparency, explainability and assurance about how recommendations are produced. 

    The West Midlands shows characteristics of a Stability pathway. The opportunity is to ensure that growing AI use is supported by clear, transparent and trustworthy information, helping people turn capability into confident financial action. 

    Money Mapped data for the West Midlands showing strong use of digital financial tools. Eighty-eight per cent use digital finance tools every week and 79% feel confident managing money digitally. Forty-eight per cent say digital tools help them feel more in control of their finances, while 35% prioritise paying off debt and 33% prioritise building an emergency fund.

    What’s shaping the West Midlands profile 

    • Strong financial knowledge and digital confidence provide a foundation for financial decision-making. 
    • Digital and AI tools are being used for practical tasks, including debt management. 
    • Concern about AI bias affecting recommendations highlights the importance of transparency and explainability. 
    • The opportunity is to turn capability and adoption into more consistent financial action. 

    Opportunities for the West Midlands

    • Build trust in AI-enabled financial support through transparency, accuracy and clear explanations of how recommendations are produced. 
    • Close the gap between capability and action, helping more people to turn confidence into consistent financial behaviours. 
    • Support more confident decision-making, especially for complex or higher-value financial choices.

  • Money-confident, digitally curious

    At a glance

    • Confidence in managing money is relatively strong despite lower overall financial engagement. 
    • Digital money management is routine among active users, with 89% using digital tools at least weekly. 
    • AI adoption is relatively strong, including use for debt management and future financial planning. 
    • The distinction is a gap between confidence and consistent financial engagement, rather than a lack of digital interest. 

    The North West combines relatively strong confidence in managing money digitally with established use of AI for both immediate and future-focused needs. Among AI users, debt-management strategies and future financial planning are relatively prominent. 

    The opportunity is to help people translate confidence, curiosity and existing digital activity into consistent financial behaviours and outcomes. 

    The North West shows characteristics of a Resilience pathway, with potential to turn capability into practical action. 

    Money Mapped statistics for the North West showing widespread use of digital financial tools and growing AI adoption. Eighty-nine per cent use digital tools weekly, 82% feel confident managing money digitally and 60% have used AI for personal finance in the past year. Forty-five per cent cite day-to-day expenses as their main financial priority.

    What’s shaping the North West profile 

    • Lower overall financial engagement despite relatively strong confidence suggests a gap between self-belief and consistent action. 
    • Digital money management is routine among active users. 
    • AI adoption is relatively strong, particularly for debt management and future financial planning. 
    • Concerns about the regulatory and legal implications of AI highlight the importance of clear safeguards and guidance. 

    Opportunities for the North West

    • Strengthen core financial habits and support more consistent engagement with financial decisions. 
    • Help people translate confidence and digital activity into practical financial action. 
    • Build on AI use in ways that support budgeting, debt management, saving and planning ahead. 
    • Provide clear guidance and safeguards around the financial use of AI. 

  • Putting digital tools to work on day-to-day expenses

    At a glance

    • Strong reported financial knowledge provides a useful foundation. 
    • Managing day-to-day expenses is a prominent current priority. 
    • Financial knowledge is strong, but longer-term goals are taking a back seat. 
    • Digital tools are used routinely, but reported saving and control outcomes remain below the UK average. 

    The North East combines strong reported financial knowledge with frequent digital money management among users. Managing day-to-day expenses is a particularly prominent priority, while retirement saving and investment feature less strongly. 

    Although digital tools are used routinely, reported saving and control benefits are also less prominent than the UK average. 

    The North East shows characteristics of a Resilience pathway, reflecting the importance of supporting immediate priorities alongside longer-term progress. The opportunity is to build on knowledge and routine money management so that they support stronger saving, financial control and planning ahead. 

    Money Mapped data for the North East showing high financial engagement and digital confidence. Eighty-nine per cent use digital finance tools weekly, 81% feel confident managing money digitally and 87% believe they have enough knowledge to make informed financial decisions. Managing day-to-day expenses is the top financial priority for 57% of respondents.

    What’s shaping the North East profile 

    • Strong financial knowledge and confidence provide useful foundations for decision-making. 
    • Managing day-to-day expenses is a particularly prominent current priority. 
    • Reported saving and control benefits from digital tools are less prominent than the UK average. 
    • Retirement saving and investment feature less strongly among current financial priorities. 

    Opportunities for the North East

    • Turn strong capability into more consistent financial action and greater confidence in planning ahead. 
    • Improve the role of digital tools in driving outcomes, especially saving and financial control. 
    • Create clearer routes from everyday money management into saving, retirement planning and other longer-term goals. 
    • Strengthen financial resilience by helping more people translate everyday money management into longer-term financial security. 

  • Britain’s digital cashback capital

    At a glance

    • Digital tool users in Scotland report particularly high confidence in managing money digitally. 
    • Scotland records the UK’s highest regular use of cashback and rewards apps among digital tool users. 
    • Credit score monitoring and reported credit score improvement are also particularly prominent. 
    • Paying down debt and building an emergency fund remain important priorities. 
    • The opportunity is to connect active day-to-day money management with future saving and planning. 

    Scotland’s profile is characterised by confident, active use of practical tools among people managing money digitally. Regular use of cashback and rewards apps is higher than elsewhere in the UK, while credit score monitoring and reported credit score improvement are also particularly prominent. 

    Debt reduction and emergency saving point to a focus on financial security. Together, these behaviours suggest that digital tools are supporting practical, active money management across a range of everyday needs. 

    Scotland shows characteristics of both the Resilience and Stability pathways. The opportunity is to connect these active day-to-day behaviours with saving, investing and longer-term planning. 

    Money Mapped statistics for Scotland highlighting strong adoption of AI and digital finance tools. Seventy-six per cent have used AI for personal finance, 49% use AI weekly or daily and 91% say AI recommendations have helped them save money. Seventy-five per cent feel confident managing money using digital tools and 51% say digital tools help them save regularly.

    What’s shaping the Scotland profile 

    • High digital confidence provides a strong foundation for active financial management. 
    • Scotland stands out for regular use of cashback and rewards apps. 
    • Credit monitoring and reported credit score improvement reinforce the practical money-management story. 
    • Debt reduction and emergency saving point to a focus on financial security. 
    • The opportunity is to connect present-day control with saving and longer-term progress. 

    Opportunities for Scotland

    • Build on active use of cashback, rewards and credit tools to support wider financial goals. 
    • Help people connect practical day-to-day money management with saving and longer-term planning. 
    • Make progress visible across debt, credit, emergency saving and future financial security. 
    • Ensure digital tools continue to provide clear, practical value. 

  • Untapped digital ambition

    At a glance

    • Financial knowledge is lower than elsewhere in the UK. 
    • Among digital tool users, money management is particularly frequent and reported goal-setting outcomes are strong. 
    • Financial ambitions stand out, including education, entrepreneurship and saving for important life events. 
    • The opportunity is to build confidence and scale the behaviours already supporting financial progress. 

    Northern Ireland combines lower reported financial knowledge with some of the strongest practical outcomes among active digital users. Money management is particularly frequent, while users report strong outcomes around efficiency and setting and achieving financial goals.  

    Financial priorities also point to ambition, including education, entrepreneurship and important life events. This creates an opportunity to strengthen knowledge and confidence around behaviours already associated with progress. 

    Northern Ireland shows characteristics of a Resilience pathway, alongside an opportunity to strengthen trusted support and help more people pursue their financial goals. 

    Money Mapped data for Northern Ireland showing high digital financial engagement. Eighty-eight per cent use digital tools weekly to manage finances, 83% feel confident managing money using digital tools and 80% are engaged with their finances. AI use for personal finance stands at 48%, while 37% say paying off debt and 35% say building an emergency fund are their top financial priorities.

    What’s shaping the Northern Ireland profile 

    • Lower financial knowledge may affect confidence in making informed decisions. 
    • Digital money management is frequent among users, with strong reported outcomes around efficiency and goal-setting. 
    • Financial priorities show ambition around education, entrepreneurship and important life events. 
    • Greater willingness to consider online communities for financial guidance suggests openness to a wider range of support.

    Opportunities for Northern Ireland

    • Build financial knowledge and confidence alongside existing digital engagement. 
    • Scale the digital behaviours already associated with efficiency, goal-setting and progress. 
    • Support ambitions around education, entrepreneurship and significant life goals with trusted, actionable guidance. 

Financial empowerment pathways7

T​he findings in this report point to three broad, overlapping pathways that help explain how financial empowerment may be experienced across the UK's nations and regions.  

These pathways are intended to provide context rather than categorise people or places. They are not sequential, and no pathway is inherently better than another. They are illustrative and should not be interpreted as fixed labels. Individuals and communities may experience aspects of several pathways at once, depending on their circumstances, confidence, financial priorities, support needs and local context.  

Read alongside the regional findings, they help illustrate how different pressures, priorities and experiences can shape financial empowerment, and how digital tools may support people in different ways across the UK.  The pathways are defined as follows:  

Progress

Building towards longer-term financial security. People on this pathway appear more likely to use digital tools and AI to support saving, planning ahead, investment activity and longer-term decision-making. These patterns are most visible where financial priorities are focused on building future security and long-term financial goals. 

Stability

Maintaining control and building stronger foundations. On this pathway, digital tools appear to help people stay organised, manage day-to-day finances and maintain a sense of financial control. The opportunity is to build on these behaviours so they can support saving, planning and stronger outcomes over time. 

Resilience

Managing immediate financial priorities while protecting stability. On this pathway, people’s financial behaviour may place greater emphasis on managing everyday expenses, reducing debt and staying on top of essential commitments. Digital tools can support control and practical money management, providing foundations from which longer-term progress may be built. 

Opportunities for the future

“Place matters. Having access to the right support, guidance and tools that reflect local needs and circumstances can help people feel confident, informed and prepared.” 

The findings suggest that people's financial experiences and outcomes reflect a combination of local priorities, pressures, confidence and support needs. They do not point to a simple divide between more and less digitally advanced places. Instead, they show that digitally engaged people use tools for different purposes and report different outcomes. Digital tools, trusted guidance and human support may each play a role depending on the decision, circumstances and preferences involved. 

Taken together, the findings suggest three broad opportunities: helping people build resilience under pressure, helping people maintain stability and control, and helping people make progress towards longer-term financial goals. These reflect the three financial empowerment pathways identified in the report. 

Strengthening financial empowerment therefore requires coordinated action across government, industry and wider society, recognising that people may benefit from different forms of support depending on their circumstances and local context.  

The opportunity is not simply to increase digital engagement. It is to help people use digital tools, trusted guidance and human support in ways that strengthen financial confidence, resilience and decision-making. By meeting people where they are and recognising that financial empowerment can take different forms across the UK, it is possible to support stronger financial outcomes for more people.  

The following priorities highlight areas where targeted action could help strengthen financial empowerment:

Helping people under pressure build financial resilience

For some people, immediate priorities such as managing everyday expenses and reducing debt can make it harder to save or plan ahead. Banking apps, budgeting services and other online tools can help with budgeting, debt management and everyday control, but financial circumstances may affect how readily people can move towards saving and longer-term goals.

See how to make it happen

Turning everyday financial control into longer-term momentum

Digital tools already appear to support budgeting, spending control, debt management and credit monitoring for many people. The opportunity is to help those practical behaviours become a foundation for saving, planning and sustained financial progress.

See how to make it happen

Supporting confident progress towards longer-term goals

Where people are already using digital tools and AI for saving, investing, retirement planning and other longer-term decisions, the opportunity is to ensure that adoption is matched by understanding, confidence and access to trusted support.

See how to make it happen

Making trust a central design principle in digital and AI-enabled finance

Trust shapes how confidently people use digital tools and AI, particularly for complex or higher-value decisions. People may use these tools while still wanting transparency, verification and access to human support.

See how to make it happen

Providing timely support when financial decisions matter most

People’s financial needs are shaped by life stage, personal circumstances and the decisions they face. Local context can also affect the pressures people experience, the support available and the channels they use and trust. Important financial moments may include building credit, managing debt, saving for a home, supporting a family, starting a business, planning for retirement or responding to an unexpected financial shock.

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Ensuring digital finance remains accessible, trusted and supported in every community

Among the digitally engaged adults included in this research, confidence, preferences and patterns of use vary. Some people use digital tools confidently, while others report more selective use or a preference for trusted human support in certain circumstances.

As financial services become increasingly digital and AI-enabled, innovation should support a wide range of needs, circumstances and preferences, including clear routes to human and non-digital support.

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  • “The future of financial empowerment is not about a single tool or solution. It is about helping people access the right combination of digital tools, trusted guidance and human support for their circumstances and goals.”
     

    The Spotlight reports signal the future direction of the Consumer Digital Index: moving beyond digital engagement alone to better understand how digital tools, AI, guidance and human support can help people build financial confidence and improve outcomes in practice. Money mapped identifies three overlapping pathways: Progress, Stability and Resilience. These do not describe or rank places. They provide a framework for understanding how priorities, pressures, confidence and support needs may shape money management and reported outcomes. 

    For the Consumer Digital Index, this means continuing to explore not only whether people are digitally engaged, but whether that engagement helps them manage day-to-day finances, build resilience, access appropriate credit, plan ahead and act with confidence.  

    The opportunity is to use these insights to help ensure digital innovation supports real financial progress in ways that are trusted, inclusive and relevant to people’s circumstances. 

    Read together, Generation gains and Money mapped show that financial empowerment is shaped by intersecting factors, including life stage, personal circumstances, confidence, trust and local context.

  • 1. Research and interpretation 

    Insights in this Spotlight are drawn from the Consumer Digital Index, published in November 2025. Findings, including AI usage and reported savings, are based on self-reported data from an online survey of 5,000 UK adults, nationally representative by age, gender and region, conducted between 3 and 28 July 2025. Respondents were digitally engaged and able to participate online. 

    Findings describe patterns and associations in survey responses; correlations do not imply causation. 

    References to third-party AI tools or social media platforms are illustrative only. They do not constitute regulated financial advice and are not endorsed by Lloyds Banking Group. Customers seeking personalised recommendations should use regulated advice channels. 

    Narrative summaries are interpretive and based on patterns in self-reported data and have been shortened for clarity. Full survey questions, context and survey base sizes are available in the Consumer Digital Index data tables. 

    2. Consumer Digital Index 

    The Consumer Digital Index, published in November 2025, combines anonymised behavioural data and nationally representative survey data to track digital engagement and financial capability across the UK. Earlier editions included a composite index score reflecting access, capability and use. Full methodology, data tables and report archives are available on the CDI website: Consumer Digital Index - Lloyds Banking Group plc.  

    3. Definitions and survey groups 

    Digitally engaged respondents: the main survey base, comprising respondents who were online and able to complete the survey. 

    Digital tool users: respondents who say they use the internet or digital services to manage their finances, for activities ranging from checking balances and tracking spending to saving and planning. 

    AI users: respondents who have used AI for personal finance in the past 12 months. 

    Digital tools: an umbrella term in this report for online and mobile financial services used to manage money, including banking apps and websites, spending insights, alerts, notifications, savings services and credit score monitoring. 

    At least once a week: combines every day, a few times a week and once a week.

    4. Regional interpretation 

    UK nations and regions are used as a contextual lens to explore patterns in financial priorities, pressures, confidence, behaviours and reported outcomes. Findings do not describe everyone living in a place and should not be interpreted as fixed characteristics or labels applied to individuals, communities, nations or regions. 

    References to “highest” and “lowest” identify the largest or smallest reported percentage for one survey response across the 12 nations and regions presented. They do not represent an overall assessment or ranking of a nation or region, or indicate its overall financial outcomes, digital capability, access to services or performance. 

    The analysis focuses on how financial empowerment may be shaped by a combination of personal circumstances, local context, confidence, support needs and patterns of digital engagement. It does not seek to rank nations or regions, or imply that any place is performing better or worse than another. Instead, it explores how financial empowerment can take different forms across the UK, reflecting different priorities, experiences and opportunities for support. 

    5. Reported savings 

    Savings figures are self-reported estimates and are not verified against transactional data. They should be interpreted as perceived impacts rather than guaranteed outcomes. 

    6. Small samples 

    Findings based on a small sample (n<100) should be interpreted as indicative rather than statistically representative of the wider population. 

    7. Pathways 

    The Progress, Stability and Resilience pathways were developed by analysing survey responses relating to financial engagement, confidence, money management, financial behaviours and goals, trust and self-reported outcomes. 

    They represent broad, overlapping patterns rather than fixed categories, stages or labels. They are not sequential and no pathway is inherently better than another. Individuals may display characteristics of more than one pathway and may move between them over time. 

    Cross-cutting factors such as trust, confidence, financial pressure and local context can influence how digital tools are used and whether that use appears to be associated with meaningful financial action and positive outcomes. 

    Where nations or regions are described as showing characteristics of a pathway, this should be understood as directional and illustrative rather than definitive. The pathways are intended to provide context for understanding patterns in the data and should not be interpreted as rankings or assessments of places.  

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How is Lloyds Banking Group supporting and enabling financial empowerment?

Through simple digital tools, personalised insights and timely guidance, we're helping people make informed decisions every day and take small but meaningful steps toward stronger financial futures.

Financial empowerment

What is financial empowerment, and why does it matter?

8 May 2026 | Jas Singh

When people are financially empowered, they are better able to make informed financial decisions. They can spot opportunities, avoid costly mistakes, and make choices that align with their priorities and circumstances.

Read Jas's article

Generation gains

This Spotlight report explores how financial empowerment – having the confidence, capability and control to make informed financial decisions – varies across different life stages and age groups in the UK.

Read the report

Regional development

We're committed to supporting the UK's regions and communities, supporting the regeneration of low-income areas, addressing disparities, and fostering investment and growth.

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FAQs about financial empowerment across life stages and ages

  • Financial empowerment means having the confidence, capability and control to make informed financial decisions. It is about being able to manage money effectively, build resilience, plan ahead, act with confidence and make decisions that support long-term financial wellbeing. Digital tools, including AI, alongside trusted guidance and human support, can all play a role in helping people achieve this. Read our article on financial empowerment to find out more. 

  • Money mapped is Lloyds Banking Group’s second financial empowerment Spotlight report, exploring how financial empowerment is experienced across the UK’s nations and regions. Drawing on insights from the 2025 Consumer Digital Index, it examines how digitally engaged adults use digital tools and AI to manage their finances, and how confidence, trust, behaviours and reported outcomes can vary across different parts of the country. The report explores how local priorities, pressures and circumstances can shape financial empowerment and the role digital tools play in supporting it. 

  • Financial empowerment is not a single national experience. People's priorities, pressures, confidence and support needs can differ across the UK's nations and regions. In some places, digital tools appear more closely associated with day-to-day money management and financial control. In others, they are used to support saving, planning ahead and longer-term financial goals. These differences do not reflect fixed characteristics of places, but provide context for understanding how financial empowerment may be experienced in different ways across the UK. 

  • The main finding is that digital tools such as banking apps, online services and AI can support people with different aspects of managing their money, but the ways people use them and the outcomes they report are not the same everywhere. While digital tools are already part of everyday financial life for many people across the UK, local priorities, pressures and levels of confidence can shape how they are used and the benefits people report.

    Together, the findings suggest that improving financial empowerment is not about a single tool or solution. Instead, people may benefit from different combinations of digital tools, trusted guidance and human support, delivered through the channels they use and trust most and in ways that reflect their circumstances and local context. 

  • No. The report shows that digital engagement alone does not guarantee financial empowerment. Financial confidence and positive financial outcomes are shaped by a combination of factors, including trust, knowledge, experience, financial pressures and access to appropriate support. The findings suggest that digital tools can support financial empowerment, but how people use them, and the outcomes they report, may vary across different circumstances and places. 

  • Digital confidence can make it easier for people to manage money, compare options, access support and take action. The Consumer Digital Index finds that people who feel confident online are more likely to say digital tools save them time or money and help them feel more confident managing their finances.

  • People across the UK are using AI for personal finance in a variety of ways, including budgeting, savings planning, investment research, debt management, insurance comparison and future financial planning. The report suggests that usage patterns can vary between nations and regions, reflecting differences in financial priorities, confidence, goals and support needs. While some people use AI to support day-to-day money management, others are applying it to more complex financial decisions. As with other digital tools, the role AI plays appears to be shaped by individual circumstances, trust and local context. 

  • The report identifies five key themes: financial empowerment can take different forms across the UK's nations and regions; digital tools can support confidence, control and financial progress when they are trusted and easy to use; AI is becoming part of everyday financial life but is being used in different ways across the country; trust, privacy and security continue to shape how people engage with digital tools; and people benefit from access to the right combination of digital tools, trusted guidance and human support for their circumstances. 

  • Money mapped finds that the biggest differences are not simply whether people use digital tools, but what those tools are helping people achieve. In some places, digital tools appear more closely associated with day-to-day money management and financial control. In others, they are linked to saving, planning ahead, investing or longer-term financial goals. Together, these findings suggest that different places may benefit from different combinations of digital tools, trusted guidance and human support. 

  • Among respondents in the analysis, London reports both the highest AI adoption (76% having used AI for personal finance in the past year) and the highest regular AI use (49% using it daily or weekly). The report also shows that people across the UK are using AI for a wide range of activities, including budgeting, savings planning, debt management, insurance comparison, investment research and future financial planning. As with other digital tools, how AI is used appears to be influenced by people's priorities, confidence and financial circumstances.

  • No. The Spotlight is based on an online survey of digitally engaged adults and examines how people who are already online use financial tools and the outcomes they report. It does not assess digital connectivity, digital inclusion, access to banking channels or the availability of in-person services. Regional differences provide context about priorities and experiences, not a ranking of digital inclusion or financial empowerment.

  • No. The report does not rank nations or regions. Instead, it uses place as a lens to explore how financial priorities, pressures, confidence and reported outcomes can vary across the UK. The findings highlight different experiences, strengths and opportunities rather than suggesting that any one nation or region is performing better or worse than another. A “highest” or “lowest” label relates only to one survey response and should not be interpreted as an overall assessment of a place.

  • The Consumer Digital Index finds that AI is now being used by millions of UK adults to help manage money. Common uses include budgeting, savings planning, financial education, investment research, debt management and future financial planning. 

  • AI can support financial empowerment when it helps people understand their options, build confidence, make informed decisions and take practical action. The Consumer Digital Index positions AI as a potential tool for empowerment, but only when people can trust the information, understand its limits and access human support when needed. 

  • The main risks are inaccurate, outdated or generic information, a lack of personalisation, privacy and security concerns, and over-reliance on tools that are not regulated financial advice. The Consumer Digital Index stresses that AI tools should be used carefully and that people should have access to trusted guidance and regulated advice where appropriate. 

  • Trust is central to financial empowerment. The Consumer Digital Index shows that people may be willing to use AI and digital tools for money management, but concerns about accuracy, data privacy, security and personalisation affect how far they rely on them. Trusted providers, clear information and access to human support remain important. 

  • Trust is central to financial empowerment. The Consumer Digital Index shows that people may be willing to use AI and digital tools for money management, but concerns about accuracy, data privacy, security and personalisation affect how far they rely on them. Trusted providers, clear information and access to human support remain important. 

  • The Consumer Digital Index shows that being online and confident with digital tools can help people save time, save money, manage finances and build resilience. But digital inclusion is not only about access. People also need capability, confidence, trust and support to turn digital engagement into stronger financial outcomes. 

  • The findings are based on an online survey of 5,000 UK adults, nationally representative by age, gender and region, conducted between 3 and 28 July 2025. The report focuses on people who are online and examines how digital tools and AI appear to support financial confidence, behaviours and outcomes. It is not a measure of digital access or inclusion. See [link] Context and methodology for more information. 

  • Money mapped identifies three broad financial empowerment pathways: Progress, Stability and Resilience. These pathways help explain how financial empowerment may be experienced across the UK's nations and regions, reflecting different priorities, pressures, confidence levels and patterns of digital engagement.  

    They are intended to provide context rather than categorise people or places. The pathways are illustrative and overlapping, meaning individuals and communities may experience characteristics of several pathways at once. They are not rankings or fixed labels, but a framework for understanding different patterns of financial behaviour and reported outcomes across the UK.  

  • Money mapped focuses on digitally engaged UK adults and explores how digital tools and AI may support financial empowerment. It does not assess digital access or digital inclusion, nor does it reflect the experiences of people who are not online.  

    Financial empowerment is not dependent on digital engagement. People can build confidence, resilience and control through a range of routes, including trusted guidance, community support, face-to-face services and other non-digital channels.  

    While digital tools can play an important role, the report highlights the value of providing people with access to the right combination of digital tools, guidance and human support. The wider Consumer Digital Index continues to explore digital access, capability and inclusion across the UK.