The number of UK adults who have a Will may have fallen over the past 12 months if the latest published statistics by The National Will Register are an indication of wider public adoption.
The 2025 National Wills Report suggests 37% of adults have made a Will; a reduction on the c.50% figure reported in previous editions. The research was conducted amongst 2,000 UK adults and found, as ever, adoption in younger adults much lower than in older adults. Just one in five 18-24 years olds have a Will in place; 33% of 22-34 year olds have a Will; 31% of those aged 35-44; and 32% of 45-54 year olds have a Will. Unsurprisingly 56% of over 55’s have a Will in place.
The lack of public awareness remains a major barrier to will writing according to the report, with one in four claiming they don’t know how to make a Will.
Intriguingly the report does highlight the potential for 17m Wills to be written over the course of the next 12 months if intentions turn to action for those surveyed. 34% of adults responded to say they planned to write a Will in the next year, which translates to 17m people in the UK. There is, said the report, ‘encouraging findings’ around discussing death and estate planning; a long-held taboo and barrier to Wills and estate planning. 79% of respondents said they were comfortable talking about death, and 8% increase on the 2024 report.
But storage and locating a Will remain a problem. Half of all wills are stored with either a solicitor or will writer. This professional custody provides security and expertise but can create challenges if the relationship with that firm changes over time. As many as 29% of people with a will haven’t told anyone where to find it suggests the research. And over half of those surveyed (51%) said they did not know where their parents’ Wills are located.
On charitable giving there is room for growth suggest The National Will Register. 30% of those without a current legacy in their will would consider adding one when they next update their will. Among those without wills, the numbers are even more encouraging. 46% of people without a will would consider including a legacy when they create one, rising to 57% of those considering writing a will in the next 12 months. The report goes on to say:
These statistics reveal a substantial opportunity gap for the charity sector. A fifth of respondents said they have or would update their will to include a legacy, suggesting that targeted messaging and education could significantly increase charitable donations. Understanding why people don’t include charitable legacies helps identify areas for education and outreach. 52% felt they were unable to offer anything or wanted their entire estate to go elsewhere, indicating concerns about having sufficient assets to share. 40% said they hadn’t thought about it, which is where there seems to be a significant education opportunity. This group would be most receptive to information about how charitable legacies work and their impact. Only 9% said they didn’t realise it was possible, suggesting that the basic awareness of charitable gifts is still relatively high, even if more detailed knowledge may be lacking.
On 23rd October, The National Will Register sit down with industry experts to discuss the key issues the report highlights; how it is impacting the private client sector and what the figures show us in our bid to build a more prepared nation. Click here to find out more and register.
One Response
Please, please, please check basic common sense before reporting survey findings. Only 37% of the UK’s 44 million adults compared to the usual findings of 50% last year? A decrease of 13% in terms of share of the adult population would imply over 5 million UK adults actively destroyed their wills, which very clearly did not happen (deaths and young adults not making wills could only account for a few hundred thousand). The 37% figure tells you much more about the poor quality of the survey data than anything else.