Children in Scotland are Britain's worst savers

BOYS are better savers than girls, having set aside an average of over £50 more than females, a survey showed yesterday.

But Scottish youngsters are the worst savers in the UK, according to figures from the Halifax bank.

The average boy aged under 16 has 1,089 in a savings account, compared with around 1,037 for girls, according to high street bank Halifax.

The group said boys had higher average savings than girls in three quarters of local authority districts across the UK.

The biggest difference in the amount the sexes have saved is in Westminster, where boys have set aside an average of 2,027, compared with girls' 1,661.

Unsurprisingly, older children have generally saved more than younger ones, with the average teenager aged between 13 and 16 having set aside 1,178, compared with savings of around 1,024 for children aged 12 or under.

The group, which analysed its own savings data, said children in London have the highest savings at an average of 1,380, followed by those in Northern Ireland at 1,182 and the south-east of England at 1,162. At the other end of the scale, children in Scotland have set aside only around 875, while those in the English north-west have saved 961.

Across the whole of the UK children have an average of 1,064 held in a deposit account.

Six of the ten local authorities where children have the highest savings are in London, with Harrow topping the list at 2,122, followed by Barnet at 2,016.

Halifax said the results were not unexpected, as areas where children tend to have the highest savings are areas where adults have relatively high average earnings.

Eight out of the top 20 areas where children have the highest savings balances are also in the top 20 areas for the highest average earnings.