Financial Literacy and Money Attitudes: Do Boys and Girls Really Differ? A Study among Italian Preadolescents

Several institutions have pointed to financial education as a means of facing the contemporary crisis. However, research on financial literacy and money attitudes among children has as yet been rather scarce. Some studies maintain that women and men receive different economic socialization patterns, and consequently develop different levels of financial literacy and gendered money attitudes that in turn reproduce economic inequalities. This study was conducted in order to shed light on gender differences in financial literacy and money attitudes among preadolescents in Northern Italy. The survey used here consisted of a self-completion questionnaire administered to a sample of 1,635 students aged 12-14 years. Gender differences are estimated using several linear regression models and a binomial logistic regression model. Empirical analysis reveals significant gender differences in money attitudes, but not in financial literacy. These findings are discussed with suggestions for sustaining gender equality and designing future financial education programs.