In Germany, the German Youth Institute (DJI) publishes allowance ranges by age: weekly up to nine, monthly from ten. Under six, it suggests 1 to 2 euros a week; at ten and eleven, 15 to 25 euros a month. The DJI calls the ranges guidance for families and says paying regularly, regardless of behavior, matters more than the exact amount.
Dieser Artikel auf Deutsch: Taschengeld-Tabelle: Wie viel Geld nach Alter?
No amount fits every family, but a published table gives you a place to start. The one we show is Germany's, in euros, next to a US rule of thumb and the rules that matter more than the amount.
How much allowance should a child get per week?
In Germany, the German Youth Institute (Deutsches Jugendinstitut, DJI) publishes ranges by age, paid weekly up to age nine and monthly from ten1,2. It calls the table guidance for families, not a rule2. The amounts are in euros and set for German prices. The DJI's 2025 report behind the table was written in a project financed by the German Savings Banks Association (Deutscher Sparkassen- und Giroverband)3.
German Youth Institute (DJI) allowance recommendations 2025, in euros. *For teens 16 and older who depend fully on their parents financially, such as students still in school.| Age | Allowance | Paid |
|---|
| under 6 | 1 to 2 euros | per week |
| 6 and 7 | 2 to 3 euros | per week |
| 8 and 9 | 3 to 4 euros | per week |
| 10 and 11 | 15 to 25 euros | per month |
| 12 and 13 | 20 to 30 euros | per month |
| 14 and 15 | 25 to 45 euros | per month |
| 16 and 17* | 40 to 60 euros | per month |
| 18 and older* | 55 to 75 euros | per month |
Younger children rarely plan a whole month, so the federal family ministry's Familienportal (family portal) advises paying weekly at first1. From about ten, monthly payment works well, the DJI writes, and if the switch is hard, paying every 14 days for a few months can help. What matters is a fixed rhythm2. By our calculation (52 weeks ÷ 12 months), 3 to 4 euros a week at eight and nine is about 13 to 17 euros a month, so the 15 to 25 euros at ten and eleven starts inside that span1. The factor is ours, not the DJI's.
Rows with an asterisk assume a teen who depends fully on their parents. From about 16, teens with their own income (not from a side job) or apprenticeship pay negotiate the amount with their parents, and the free allowance may shrink or end2.
How do you pick an amount within the range?
The DJI's ranges let families fit the amount to a child's development, the family situation and the money available2. Older, more independent children tend toward the top, while many siblings or a tight household budget point toward the bottom2. A US fact sheet from Virginia Cooperative Extension also says older children should receive more than younger ones, because their needs are greater4.
If you already pay more than a new DJI range, the institute says you shouldn't cut back. If you pay less, you can raise the amount in two or three steps2. Check it once a year, on the birthday or when the school year starts2.
In the DJI's 2023 survey AID:A (Growing Up in Germany), the median allowance, the middle value, was 15 euros a month at ten, 40 at 16 and 50 at 172,3. We read these as amounts among kids who get an allowance: the DJI put weekly and monthly payments on one monthly basis2, and only 22% of five-year-olds got one at all, so a median over all of them would be zero2,3.
From about twelve, the DJI adds Budgetgeld, a monthly budget earmarked for clothing and similar recurring costs2,3.
When should you start giving allowance?
Start no later than when your child starts school, at six or seven, the DJI says2. Its table also has a row for children under six: 1 to 2 euros a week1. In the DJI's survey, 22% of five-year-olds got an allowance, compared with 76% of ten-year-olds and 93% of 15-year-olds3.
Should allowance be tied to chores?
Both sources keep family chores apart from allowance. Virginia Cooperative Extension's sheet says allowance shouldn't be tied to chores, and some family chores should be done without pay, because children are members of the family4. The same sheet suggests offering extra chores, beyond family ones, as a way for kids to earn more4. According to the DJI, regular, age-appropriate help around the house is part of family life and shouldn't be paid through allowance2.
Experts say allowance generally shouldn't be tied to behavior, Virginia Cooperative Extension's sheet notes4. The DJI says allowance shouldn't reward good behavior or grades, and shouldn't be cut or taken away as punishment2.
On reliability, the US sheet says to set specific dates and pay on time4, and the DJI wants a small sum at regular intervals, unasked and free to spend3.
What about the dollar-per-year rule?
It's a rule of thumb some parents use: a dollar for every year of age. A 2009 fact sheet from Virginia Cooperative Extension describes it as $6 a month for a six-year-old4. In that sheet the rule is monthly, while many pages online apply it per week (our observation).
Applied to a ten-year-old, the rule gives $10 a month (our arithmetic)4.
For families in Germany: what may kids buy on their own?
Under the German Civil Code (Bürgerliches Gesetzbuch, BGB), children under seven can't enter contracts5. From seven, they have limited capacity and need their parents' consent for any declaration that doesn't bring them merely a legal benefit5. Section 110, the Taschengeldparagraph (allowance section), is one exception3: a contract counts as effective from the outset if the child pays for it in full with money the parents gave for that purpose or to spend freely, or that someone else gave with their approval5. It usually doesn't cover recurring payments, the DJI writes; subscriptions are one example (our reading)2. Majority begins at eighteen5. We cite the English translation on gesetze-im-internet.de (amendments up to August 10, 2021), a convenience translation; the official German text governs5,6.
Frequently asked questions
How much allowance should I give a 10-year-old?
The German Youth Institute's (DJI) table suggests 15 to 25 euros a month at ten and eleven1. Among German ten-year-olds who got an allowance in its 2023 survey, the median was 15 euros a month (our reading)2,3. Age, independence, siblings and budget suggest where in the range your child sits2. By the dollar-per-year rule some parents use, described in a 2009 extension fact sheet, a ten-year-old gets $10 a month (our arithmetic)4.
Should allowance increase every year?
Check it every year: the DJI suggests a short review on the birthday or when the school year starts2. A Virginia Cooperative Extension sheet suggests raising allowance so children cover more of their own expenses as they get better with money4. If you pay less than the DJI's new 2025 range, you can raise it in two or three steps2.
When does allowance stop?
The DJI's table has no end age. Its last row, 18 and older, gives 55 to 75 euros a month to young adults who still depend fully on their parents1. From about 16, young people with their own income (not from a side job) or apprenticeship pay negotiate the amount with their parents, and the free allowance may shrink or end2.
What is a reasonable allowance for a high school student?
The German Youth Institute (DJI) suggests 25 to 45 euros a month at 14 and 15, and 40 to 60 euros at 16 and 17 for teens who depend fully on their parents1. From about 16, teens with their own income (not from a side job) or apprenticeship pay negotiate the amount2. All amounts are in euros, set for German prices.
What matters most
We think reliability matters more than the exact amount. The DJI puts regular payment, unasked and regardless of behavior, ahead of the sum3, and the US sheet asks for set dates and on-time pay4. Our advice: pick a starting amount, pay it on fixed dates without strings, and review it each year.
Sources
The DJI report and the federal family portal are in German. The German Civil Code is cited in the English translation published on gesetze-im-internet.de, a convenience translation; the official German text governs.
- German Federal Ministry for Education, Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth (BMBFSFJ): Gibt es Empfehlungen zum Taschengeld? (Are there recommendations on allowance?). Familienportal des Bundes, familienportal.de (in German). familienportal.de/familienportal/lebenslagen/kinder-jugendliche/gibt-es-empfehlungen-zum-taschengeld--125562 (retrieved November 9, 2026)
- Chabursky, Sophia / Langmeyer, Alexandra (2025): Taschengeld und Gelderziehung (allowance and money education), an expert report with updated allowance recommendations. Munich: German Youth Institute (DJI), September 2025, updated version (in German). dji.de/fileadmin/user_upload/dasdji/publikationen/Broschueren_2025/Expertise_Taschengeld_ChaburskyLangmeyer2025_aktualisiert.pdf (retrieved November 9, 2026)
- German Youth Institute (Deutsches Jugendinstitut, DJI): Taschengeld (allowance), topic page. dji.de (in German). dji.de/themen/jugend/taschengeld.html (retrieved November 9, 2026)
- Jones, Sheree / Hayhoe, Celia Ray (2009): Children and Family Finances: Kid's Allowance. Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia Tech, publication 2912-7042. VTechWorks. vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/bitstreams/05d6d0bf-ec33-48d2-8611-100240b5e665/download (retrieved November 9, 2026)
- German Civil Code (BGB), English translation, gesetze-im-internet.de (Langenscheidt / Samson Übersetzungen; includes amendments up to the Act of 10 August 2021). gesetze-im-internet.de/englisch_bgb/englisch_bgb.html (retrieved November 9, 2026)
- Bundesministerium der Justiz / Bundesamt für Justiz: Translations. gesetze-im-internet.de (the notice the English BGB page links for its conditions of use). gesetze-im-internet.de/Teilliste_translations.html (retrieved November 9, 2026)
Published November 14, 2026
Not legal or financial advice. The amounts are guidance values, not rules. Legal notes refer to German law; our own calculations are labeled as such.
Keep exploring
Allowance is one small line in a family budget. If planning it brings up more, get your finances in order and find your next step. For where your household stands overall, read what counts as rich, and our emergency fund calculator shows how big a reserve for your family's unexpected costs should be. More guides live in the Money section.
