UK Wills & Inheritance Statistics 2026
A consolidated, primary-sourced reference for journalists, researchers and writers covering UK estate planning. Every figure links to its original government or industry source. All data current as of May 2026. Use under Creative Commons CC-BY-4.0 — credit and link to this page.
54% of UK adults don't have a will. HMRC collected a record £8.2bn in Inheritance Tax in 2024-25. HMCTS processes around 280,000 probate applications a year in England and Wales. The median UK estate at probate is ~£180,000. Roughly 230,000 people a year die intestate. Online will-writing has roughly tripled since 2019 and now accounts for around 20% of new UK wills.
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Headline statistics
Will-making and intestacy
Who has a will — by age band
Older adults are far more likely to have written a will. Younger adults — even those with children, mortgages and significant assets — are the most exposed.
Percentage of UK adults with a valid will. Source: Will Aid national survey 2023 (n=2,038), weighted by ONS demographics.
Why people don't write a will
The most common reasons UK adults give for not having a will:
- "I haven't got around to it" — 38%
- "I don't have enough assets to need one" — 24%
- "I'm too young" — 17%
- "It's too expensive / I can't afford it" — 11%
- "I don't want to think about death" — 8%
- "I don't know how to get started" — 6%
Source: Will Aid 2023 survey, multiple-response question. Percentages exceed 100% due to multi-select.
Inheritance Tax — receipts trend
HMRC IHT receipts by year
The frozen £325,000 nil-rate band (unchanged since 2009) combined with rising house prices means more estates are pulled into IHT every year. Receipts have grown by over 50% in the last five years.
Source: HMRC tax receipts statistics, monthly. Figures rounded to nearest £100m. gov.uk/government/statistics/hmrc-tax-and-nics-receipts-for-the-uk
OBR forecast — where IHT receipts are heading
The Office for Budget Responsibility's March 2025 forecast projects IHT receipts to reach approximately £14.3 billion by 2029-30 as frozen thresholds drag more estates into scope and the planned 2027 inclusion of pensions takes effect.
- 2025-26: £8.7bn (forecast)
- 2026-27: £9.6bn (forecast)
- 2027-28: £11.4bn (forecast — includes pension inclusion)
- 2028-29: £12.7bn (forecast)
- 2029-30: £14.3bn (forecast)
Source: OBR Economic and Fiscal Outlook, March 2025. obr.uk
Probate volumes and waiting times
Probate applications received — annual
Source: HMCTS Probate Statistics quarterly. Calendar-year aggregations. gov.uk/government/collections/management-information-mojhmcts
HMCTS grant-of-probate waiting times (weeks)
Average weeks from application to grant issued:
- Digital application, straightforward: 4 weeks (mid-2026)
- Digital application, stopped/queried: 8-12 weeks
- Paper application: 12-16 weeks
- Complex/contentious: 16-24+ weeks
Source: HMCTS — Probate applications management information, published monthly.
Estate values distribution
Probated estate values by size — England & Wales
Approximate share of probated estates by net value band. Source: HMRC IHT statistics commentary, 2024 release.
Contested wills and Inheritance Act claims
Contentious probate — what we know
- Caveats entered per year: ~10,000 — formal notices preventing a grant being issued without notice. (HMCTS, 2024)
- Inheritance Act 1975 claims filed: ~1,800 per year — claims by family members or dependants for reasonable financial provision. (MoJ Family Court Statistics)
- Estimated estates with some form of contest: 12-17% of probated estates. (Industry estimates aggregated from STEP, Royal London 2023 study)
- Median legal cost of contested probate: £22,500 (Counts Probate Index 2024)
- Most common ground of contest: Inheritance Act 1975 claim by cohabiting partner or adult child (~41% of all contests)
- Estimated time from caveat to resolution: 12-24 months
Online will-writing growth
Estimated UK online will market — annual new wills written
Aggregated industry estimates. Includes pure-online providers (Farewill, ClearLegacy, Honey Legal, Make A Will Online), banks' online routes, and digital arms of high-street will services.
Current thresholds and key figures (2026/27)
- IHT nil-rate band: £325,000 (frozen since 2009, frozen to April 2030)
- Residence nil-rate band: £175,000 (frozen since 2020, frozen to April 2030)
- Spouse intestacy statutory legacy: £322,000 (since 26 July 2023)
- IHT standard rate: 40%
- IHT charity-reduced rate: 36% (when 10%+ of net estate goes to charity)
- Annual gift exemption: £3,000
- Small gift exemption: £250 per recipient
- Marriage/CP gift exemption: £5,000 from parent, £2,500 from grandparent, £1,000 from anyone else
- Probate application fee (estates over £5,000): £300
- Probate application fee (estates under £5,000): Free
- HMRC late IHT interest rate: 7.75% (Bank Rate + 2.5%, as at May 2026)
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Start your willFrequently asked questions
- How many UK adults don't have a will?
- Approximately 54% of UK adults do not have a valid will, according to the 2023 Will Aid national survey. The figure rises to 64% for adults aged 18-44 and drops to 31% for those over 65.
- How much does the UK collect in Inheritance Tax?
- HMRC IHT receipts hit a record £8.2bn in 2024-25, up from £7.5bn in 2023-24 and £7.1bn in 2022-23. The frozen £325,000 nil-rate band combined with rising property values has driven receipts up by more than 50% in five years.
- How many probate applications are made each year?
- HMCTS receives roughly 270,000 to 290,000 probate applications a year in England and Wales. The number rose sharply during 2020-22 (COVID-related deaths) and has since stabilised at around 280,000 annually.
- What is the average UK estate value?
- The median net estate value at probate in England and Wales is approximately £180,000, with a mean of around £334,000. The distribution is heavily skewed — the top 5% of estates account for over half of total estate value.
- How many people die intestate each year?
- From the roughly 580,000 deaths a year in England and Wales (ONS), around 60% leave a will. That means approximately 230,000 deaths a year are intestate or partially intestate — over 600 every day.
- What does probate typically cost?
- DIY probate costs £300 in court fees for estates over £5,000, plus £1.50 per sealed copy. Solicitor-administered probate typically costs 2-5% of the estate value, or £3,500-£15,000 for a mid-sized estate. Fixed-fee probate services range from £1,500 to £4,500.
- How has online will writing grown?
- The online will-writing sector has roughly tripled in size between 2019 and 2025. Industry surveys suggest 18-22% of new UK wills are now written online, up from 6% in 2019. Average pricing has fallen from £150 to under £100.
- What percentage of wills are contested?
- Around 10,000 caveats are entered against UK probate applications each year (HMCTS). Roughly 8,000 contentious probate disputes reach formal court proceedings annually. Estimates suggest 12-17% of probated estates face some form of contest or claim.
Related guides
- UK intestacy flowchart
- IHT thresholds diagram
- UK probate timeline
- Estate risk assessment tool
- UK Inheritance Tax calculator
HMRC — Inheritance Tax statistics · gov.uk/government/statistics/inheritance-tax-statistics
HMRC — Monthly tax and NIC receipts · gov.uk/government/statistics/hmrc-tax-and-nics-receipts-for-the-uk
HMCTS — Probate applications management information · gov.uk/government/statistics/probate-applications-management-information
ONS — Deaths registered in England and Wales · ons.gov.uk
ONS — Families and households (cohabitation figures) · ons.gov.uk/families
OBR — Economic and Fiscal Outlook, March 2025 · obr.uk
Will Aid — National Wills Month survey 2023 · willaid.org.uk
Ministry of Justice — Family Court Statistics Quarterly · gov.uk/family-court-statistics
Royal London — Inheritance and the cost of dying without a will, 2023 study
STEP UK — Annual State of Industry survey
Methodology notes
Will Aid figures are based on a weighted nationally representative sample of 2,038 UK adults. HMRC IHT receipts are reported on a cash-accounted basis. HMCTS probate figures reflect grants issued, not applications received (~2% gap). Online will-market estimates are aggregated from public provider disclosures and triangulated against Will Aid will-creation data; figures are best estimates.
Last reviewed: 31 May 2026 by SL. Data hub maintained quarterly.
Licence: Creative Commons CC-BY-4.0. Free to cite and reuse with attribution and link.