How much money the average Brit spends on subscriptions each month
The UK’s subscription economy is booming, from streaming giants like Netflix to meal kits, fitness apps, AI tools, and even pet food deliveries. But many Brits are losing track of what they’re paying for, with small monthly fees quietly adding up.
New research from digital bank Monzo shows that the average Brit spends £38.18 per month on subscriptions. That works out to roughly £458 a year per person and contributes to a staggering £1.74 billion in national subscription spending every month.
Monzo’s findings, based on a survey of 2,000 UK adults conducted in January 2026 and aggregated customer transaction data, highlight how subscriptions have become a routine part of daily life, and how easily they can slip under the radar.
Most people keep it simple – but awareness is low
While 68% of Monzo users stick to just one subscription, 32% juggle multiple services. Worryingly, one in five Brits (20%) admits they don’t even know how many subscriptions they’re signed up to. That means nearly £40 could be leaving accounts each month without full visibility.
Awareness is particularly low among younger people. Six in ten (60%) of Gen Z (18-24) report being “caught out” by forgotten subscriptions, compared to 34% of Gen X (45-54) and 19% of Baby Boomers (55+).
Regionally, unawareness peaks in Yorkshire and the Humber (23%), followed by the West Midlands and Greater London (22% each).
Spending patterns vary too, with 20% of people spending £30–£49 monthly on subscriptions, 19% spend up to £75, and 4% shell out even more.
What are Brits actually subscribing to?
The vast majority of subscription spending, around 90%, goes toward streaming and entertainment. Netflix tops the list, with 33% of people saying they “couldn’t live without it.”
Other popular categories include fitness, groceries, pet food, and even emerging areas like AI tools and productivity apps. Per-user annual spends on certain categories can get surprisingly high:
- Food delivery/subscriptions: £2,286.96
- AI tools: £1,320
- Pet food: £418.20
- Technology: £335.88
- Learning and productivity: £155.88
Smaller but still notable categories include dating apps (£150/year), razors (£148.50), health and wellness (£119.88), and books (£49.99).
Monzo notes that subscription numbers among its users rose 24% between January 2025 and January 2026, reflecting a broader trend of “subscription fatigue” mixed with convenience.
With costs adding up, 8.4 million UK adults say they plan to cancel at least one subscription in the next three months. March often sees a spike in activity as people “spring clean” their outgoings, swapping, upgrading, or ditching services that no longer deliver value.
Common pitfalls include signing up for a service to watch one show, then forgetting to cancel, or letting multiple small payments accumulate unnoticed.
Time for a Spring clean
Monzo recommends a simple spring clean:
- Use your banking app’s spending insights or scheduled payments feature to surface all recurring charges quickly.
- Cancel anything you haven’t used in the past month, or that you’ve genuinely forgotten about.
- For services you love, consider upgrading to annual billing, bundles, or higher tiers that offer better value.
- Set aside money in a dedicated savings “Pot” for essential subscriptions so they don’t surprise you.
Other banks and budgeting tools offer similar features, making it easier than ever to track and manage recurring payments.
