Today's young people are the "most financially pressured in history", and have to earn twice as much as their parents to afford the lifestyle their elders enjoyed at the same age, a report has found.
The report found the average twentysomething earns about £21,000, but would need £40,000 to match their parents, who found it much easier to marry, buy a home and have children.
The report said: "Three in ten of their parents were married and on the property ladder by the age of 25. But money worries mean the average young Briton today does not expect to pass these milestones until their mid-30s."
Of the 3,000 young people polled by First Direct, one in five has postponed, or feels they should postpone, marriage plans.
One in four is delaying having children, while nearly a third are considering not having any children at all "because they cannot afford to do so", it was found.
Housing minister Grant Shapps said earlier he was shocked by the revelation that the average age of a first-time buyer stands at 37 for those who do not receive financial help from their parents.
