Why Australian Teens Aren't Learning Money Skills

Written by Christopher Hall, AdvDipFP | Authorised Representative, AFSL 526688 | September 2025

One in three Australians struggle to pay their bills. Nearly half say that financial stress is their biggest worry - greater than concerns about relationships or work. Most concerning is that financial literacy rates are falling, particularly amongst young people.

Australian students learn algebra and analyse Shakespeare, but lessons on budgeting, compound interest, or avoiding debt traps, rarely feature in their education. For most students, meaningful financial education simply doesn't happen.

Financial literacy is technically included in the curriculum, but it's not taught as a standalone subject. Whether students receive proper money skills education depends entirely on individual schools and teachers. Implementation is inconsistent across the country.

The situation represents a significant decline. Two decades ago, Australia was a world leader in financial education, helping create global frameworks that other countries still follow.

Today, over 70 countries, including Australia's major trading partners, have national strategies to teach money skills. Australia has none.

Programmes like Talk Money are attempting to address the gap, delivering free workshops in 1,500 schools nationwide. The organisation has conducted 11,500 workshops to date. However, teachers consistently report needing additional training and resources to deliver financial literacy lessons effectively.

The result is a generation of students graduating into an increasingly complex financial world, without essential money management skills. Unlike core subjects such as maths or English, there's no coordinated national plan to change this situation.

Financial decisions made in the teenage years and early twenties, from managing first wages to understanding superannuation, can significantly impact long-term financial wellbeing.

Book a quick review with an adviser

Book a quick review with an adviser now. The review covers how life, TPD and income protection cover is structured across a household, including cover arranged for adult children entering the workforce.

Find out if you're eligible →

About the Author

Christopher Hall, AdvDipFP, is the principal financial adviser at Arrow Equities and an Authorised Representative under AFSL 526688. He has completed more than 500 life insurance policy reviews for Australian families, with a specialisation in life risk insurance.

Educational Disclaimer: This content is for educational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

The information, opinions and other materials appearing on the Web Site are of a general nature only and shall not be construed as advice. Arrow Equities is a trading name of Rose Bay Equities Pty Ltd, AFSL 526688, ABN 87 645 284 680. This general information is educational only and not financial advice, recommendation, forecast or solicitation. Arrow Equities accepts no responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of the information, opinions or other materials provided on or accessible through the Web Site. The Web Site has not been prepared with reference to your individual financial or personal circumstances. You should not rely on any advice in this Web Site without first seeking appropriate professional, financial and legal advice. Further, where Arrow Equities makes third party material available or accessible through the Web Site you acknowledge that Arrow Equities is a distributor and not a publisher of that content and that its editorial control is limited to the selection of those materials to make available. We accept no liability for any loss or damages arising from use.