2025
9
UK Lifestyles of Millennials Consumer Report 2025
2025-06-12T14:01:06+00:00
REP6E8B53FD_4B2A_4B25_AD97_AAD42343D46D
2195
183601
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Report
en_GB
Half of Millennials who don't currently have children don't want them in the future. Birth rates have been steadily declining over the past decade, and especially among women under 35.
UK
Consumer Insights
simple

UK Lifestyles of Millennials Consumer Report 2025

"As most Millennials navigate their 30s and early 40s, brands can help them manage growing responsibilities and challenges with greater confidence."

Francesca Smith, Principal Consumer Lifestyles Analyst

This report provides a comprehensive look at the evolving needs and priorities of Millennials in the UK. This generation is currently navigating both early adulthood and midlife, presenting unique challenges and opportunities for brands. This report underscores the importance of aligning with Millennials’ priorities of financial stability, health, and social wellbeing to effectively engage this key demographic. Millennials are consumers born between 1980-1996. For the research in this report, Millennials are 29-44-year-olds.

UK Millennials – Consumer Insights

Half of Millennials who don’t currently have children don’t want them in the future. Birth rates have been steadily declining over the past decade, and especially among women under 35. Whether driven by a desire to pursue other opportunities, the financial cost of raising a child, or concerns over raising children in modern society, these choices reflect a growing diversity in life priorities.

Millennials have a growing number of financial responsibilities and they report less positive financial wellbeing than all Brits. Many have been left financially scarred from the cost of living crisis and building up financial resilience is a major priority, now and in the future.

Millennials are now firmly in early adulthood and midlife, and the majority are looking forward to the next 10 years. There are opportunities for brands to help Millennials navigate the future, whether that is taking a holistic approach to anti-ageing or creating communities for them around life stages or shared interests to combat loneliness in the future.

This report looks at the following areas:

  • The growing financial and lifestyle responsibilities of Millennials, including opportunities for brands to help them achieve their financial goals.
  • The spending priorities of Millennials, including a look into their interests in travel, wellness and technology.
  • Millennial’s attitudes towards having children, and why some Millennials are choosing an alternative path to parenthood.
  • Millennials’ attitudes towards the future, including their desire to reduce the physical signs of ageing and concerns about loneliness.

Market Definitions

For the purposes of this Report, Mintel has used the following definitions:

  • Generation Z – aged 16-28 in 2025
  • Younger Millennials – aged 29-35 in 2025
  • Older Millennials – aged 36-44 in 2025
  • Generation X – aged 45-60 in 2025
  • Baby Boomers – aged 61-79 in 2025
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  1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

    • Opportunities for engaging with Millennials
    • Help Millennials on their way to achieving financial security
    • Focus on holistic, future-focused health solutions
    • Create communities to support Millennials through different lifestages
    • Market drivers
    • Millennials make up 22% of the UK population
    • Graph 1: population estimates, by generation, 2023
    • Millennials are slightly less positive about their finances than all Brits
    • Graph 2: Millennials financial wellbeing, 2025
    • What consumers want and why
    • Millennials face a growing number of financial responsibilities
    • Graph 3: Millennial financial responsibilities, 2025
    • Domestic duties are most common
    • Spending on fashion and holidays is a priority for Millennials
    • Graph 4: Millennial spending priorities after essential living costs, 2025
    • Millennials are carefully considering parenthood
    • Graph 5: Millennial reservations about having children, 2025
    • Most are optimistic about the future, despite concerns about ageing and loneliness
    • Graph 6: Millennial attitudes towards the future, 2025
  2. MARKET DYNAMICS

    • Market drivers
    • Millennials make up 22% of the UK population
    • Graph 7: population estimates, by generation, 2023
    • Rising prices continues to put pressure on Millennials
    • Graph 8: CPI inflation rate, 2021-25
    • Most Millennials are getting by
    • Graph 9: Millennials’ financial wellbeing, 2025
    • Private renting is the most common option among Millennials
    • Millennials push back parenthood
    • Graph 10: age-specific fertility rates for women, England and Wales, 1983-23
  3. WHAT CONSUMERS WANT AND WHY

    • Financial responsibilities
    • Bills are the most widespread expense for Millennials
    • Graph 11: Millennial financial responsibilities, 2025
    • Financial responsibilities pick up mid-30s
    • Graph 12: Millennial financial responsibilities, by age, 2025
    • Half of Millennials are saving for a rainy day…
    • … but retirement planning falls by the wayside
    • Bank of Mum and Dad is relied on
    • Graph 13: Millennials receiving financial support from family members, 2025
    • Life responsibilities
    • Family and household responsibilities are most common
    • Graph 14: Millennial responsibilities, 2025
    • Millennial mums take on more day-to-day family responsibilities
    • Graph 15: responsibility for family-related tasks, by parental status, 2025
    • Help ease the load of Millennials by sharing household hacks
    • The emotional labour of parenting
    • Graph 16: causes of stress for Millennial parents, 2024
    • McDonald’s encourages emotional awareness from an early age
    • One in four Millennials have dual caring responsibilities
    • Help ease the burden for caregiving Millennials
    • Spending priorities
    • Fashion and holidays are Millennial favourites
    • Graph 17: Millennial spending priorities after essential living costs, 2025
    • Millennial women favour fashion and beauty, while men prioritise tech
    • Bring out Millennials’ adventurous side in travel
    • Health and wellbeing is a widespread priority
    • Younger Millennials drive wellness trends
    • Millennials want more from a night out
    • Millennial dads want tech-savvy homes
    • Attitudes towards having children
    • Nearly half of childfree Millennials don’t plan to have kids in the future
    • Graph 18: Millennial non-parents desire to have children (biological or non-biological) in the future, 2025
    • The cost is too much for many
    • Graph 19: Millennial attitudes towards being able to afford having a/ another child now, 2025
    • Pressure felt by both men and women
    • Graph 20: Millennial attitudes towards having children, 2025
    • Parenting is challenging, but worth the reward
    • Graph 21: Millennials attitudes towards having and raising children, 2025
    • Help Millennial parents navigate social media safely
    • Attitudes towards the future
    • Most Millennials are happy
    • The future looks positive for most Millennials, though there are disparities
    • Millennials feel the anti-ageing pressure
    • Offering opportunity for preventative beauty and grooming
    • Extend anti-ageing claims beyond skincare
    • Friendships really matter to Millennials
    • Graph 22: Millennials attitudes towards the future, 2025
    • Cultivate communities for Millennials
  4. APPENDIX

    • Report scope and definitions
    • Market definition
    • Abbreviations and terms
    • Consumer research methodology

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