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LPA Data & Demographics

Who Makes a Lasting Power of Attorney? Age and Demographics

Anyone aged 18 or over with mental capacity can make one, but the data shows most donors act later in life. Here is what the official numbers say.

9 min read · Written by the Fairchild Oldfield team · Last reviewed: July 2026

9,340,910
Lasting and enduring powers of attorney on the register in England and Wales, up by more than 1.3 million in a single year.
Source: Office of the Public Guardian, Annual Report 2024 to 2025, as at 31 March 2025. Figures subject to revision.

In England and Wales, a lasting power of attorney (LPA) can be made by anyone aged 18 or over who has the mental capacity to make their own decisions (gov.uk, as at July 2026, subject to change). There is no upper age limit and no legal requirement to be older, yet in practice the documents are used most heavily by people planning for later life.

This page pulls together the official numbers on who holds an LPA and how the picture is shifting as the population ages. Every figure is drawn from a named source, the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) and the Office for National Statistics (ONS), with its reference period shown at the point of use. Statistics are historical and may be revised by the publishing body.

Who can make an LPA, and at what age?

The legal test is capacity, not age. A donor must be at least 18 and able to understand the decision at the time the LPA is made (gov.uk, as at July 2026, subject to change). Registering an LPA with the OPG costs £92 unless a reduction or exemption applies (gov.uk, as at July 2026, subject to change). Because capacity can be lost suddenly, many people choose to put one in place well before they expect to need it.

Key figures at a glance

The table below gathers the headline statistics on lasting and enduring powers of attorney and the ageing population they largely serve. Each row carries its named official source and reference period. The register counts include enduring powers of attorney (EPAs), which could no longer be created after 2007 but remain valid where already made.

StatisticFigureSource & period
LPAs and EPAs on the register 9,340,910 OPG Annual Report 2024 to 2025, as at 31 March 2025
One-year increase in the register 1,301,364 OPG Annual Report 2024 to 2025, year to 31 March 2025
Register a year earlier 8,039,546 OPG Annual Report 2023 to 2024, as at 31 March 2024
Power of attorney applications received 1,367,053 OPG Annual Report 2024 to 2025, 2024 to 2025
Applications the previous year 1,370,546 OPG Annual Report 2023 to 2024, 2023 to 2024
People aged 65 and over (England and Wales) Over 11 million (18.6%) ONS, Census 2021
People aged 65 and over, a decade earlier 9.2 million (16.4%) ONS, Census 2011 (via ONS 2021 profile)
Minimum age to make an LPA 18 gov.uk, as at July 2026, subject to change
Cost to register an LPA £92 gov.uk, as at July 2026, subject to change

Sources: OPG Annual Report 2024 to 2025; OPG Annual Report 2023 to 2024; ONS, Census 2021; gov.uk/power-of-attorney. Reference periods as shown. Statistics may be revised; the £92 fee is as at July 2026 and subject to change.

The numbers

How many LPAs are on the register

The register keeps growing. By 31 March 2025 there were 9,340,910 lasting and enduring powers of attorney on the register in England and Wales, up 1,301,364 in a single year from 8,039,546 the year before (OPG Annual Report 2024 to 2025, as at 31 March 2025). Annual applications, by contrast, held broadly steady at around 1.37 million across the two most recent years.

Measure2023 to 20242024 to 2025
On the register (year end)8,039,5469,340,910
Applications received in year1,370,5461,367,053

Source: OPG Annual Report 2023 to 2024 and OPG Annual Report 2024 to 2025. Register figures as at 31 March each year; may be revised.

A year of catch-up

1,301,364

The register rose by this much in the year to 31 March 2025, well above the roughly 1.37 million applications received, as the OPG cleared a backlog that had built up in earlier years (OPG Annual Report 2024 to 2025).

The age picture: an ageing population

LPAs are legally open to all adults, but the demand behind these numbers sits largely with older people. At the 2021 Census, more than 11 million people in England and Wales were aged 65 and over, 18.6% of the population, up from 9.2 million (16.4%) a decade earlier (ONS, Census 2021). A larger older population is one plausible driver of the rising register.

Aged 65 and over, England & WalesNumberShare of population
2011 Census9.2 million16.4%
2021 CensusOver 11 million18.6%

Source: ONS, Profile of the older population living in England and Wales in 2021 and changes since 2011, Census 2021. Figures may be revised.

A note on donor age. The OPG publishes the total volume of LPAs and applications but, in its annual reports, does not break the register down by the age of the donor (OPG Annual Report 2024 to 2025). Where you see a single "average donor age" quoted online, it can be worth checking the named source and year before relying on it, as figures of that kind are often dated or secondary.

The two types of LPA

There are two lasting powers of attorney, and a donor can make one or both. A property and financial affairs LPA covers money, bank accounts and property; a health and welfare LPA covers care and medical decisions and can only be used once capacity is lost (gov.uk, as at July 2026, subject to change). Each is registered separately, and each attracts the £92 registration fee unless a reduction or exemption applies (gov.uk, as at July 2026, subject to change).

  • Property and financial affairs. Bills, banking, investments and selling a home.
  • Health and welfare. Medical care, where you live, and day-to-day support.

Reading the data

What the numbers mean

Original analysis, hedged. The figures describe the past and do not predict any individual outcome.

Three points stand out. First, uptake is broad: with 9,340,910 instruments on the register by 31 March 2025 (OPG, 2024 to 2025), LPAs are no longer a niche document. Second, the gap between the 1.3 million rise in the register and the roughly 1.37 million applications received points to backlog clearance rather than a surge in new demand, so a single strong year should be read with care.

Third, the ageing population gives a demographic backdrop. The over-65 group grew from 9.2 million to over 11 million between the 2011 and 2021 Censuses (ONS, Census 2021). It is reasonable to suggest that a larger older population and rising awareness both play a part, though the OPG's published data does not attribute the growth to any single cause, and correlation here is not proof of it. Because an LPA can only be made while a person still has capacity, many people choose to consider one earlier rather than leave it to chance. This is general information, and it can be worth discussing timing with a qualified professional.

How this connects to a wider plan

A lasting power of attorney is one part of a broader picture. It sits alongside a will and, for some families, trusts and tax planning. You can read our estate planning guide for how the pieces fit, our fuller explainer on Lasting Power of Attorney Explained, and the companion data page on LPAs registered in the UK for more on the registration trend.

Sources and methodology

Every statistic on this page comes from a named official source and was checked against the live publication. Register and application counts are from OPG annual reports; population figures are from ONS Census outputs; the age and fee rules are from gov.uk. No figure has been estimated, extrapolated or rounded beyond what the source states, and the register totals include enduring powers of attorney still in force.

Frequently asked questions

What age do you have to be to make an LPA?

You must be at least 18 and have the mental capacity to make the decision at the time (gov.uk, as at July 2026, subject to change). There is no upper age limit. Capacity, not age, is the legal test, so a younger adult with capacity can make an LPA while an older person who has lost capacity generally cannot.

Who typically makes a lasting power of attorney?

The data shows very wide use, with 9,340,910 LPAs and EPAs on the register by 31 March 2025 (OPG, 2024 to 2025). Demand sits largely with older people: over 11 million in England and Wales were aged 65 and over at the 2021 Census (ONS, Census 2021). Younger adults can and do make them too.

How many LPAs are registered in England and Wales?

There were 9,340,910 lasting and enduring powers of attorney on the register as at 31 March 2025, up 1,301,364 on the year (OPG, 2024 to 2025). The OPG received 1,367,053 power of attorney applications during the year. These are historical figures and may be revised by the OPG.

Is there an average age at which people make an LPA?

The OPG publishes overall volumes but, in its annual reports, does not break the register down by donor age (OPG, 2024 to 2025). Single "average age" figures quoted elsewhere are often dated or secondary, so it can be worth checking the named source and reference year before relying on any such number.

Does the same age rule apply in Scotland and Northern Ireland?

This page covers England and Wales. Scotland uses a different system of continuing and welfare powers of attorney registered with the Office of the Public Guardian (Scotland), and Northern Ireland has its own arrangements. The figures here are drawn from OPG and ONS data for England and Wales and should not be read across to the other UK nations without checking local rules.

Can I make an LPA once I have lost mental capacity?

Generally no. An LPA has to be made while the donor still has capacity to understand it (gov.uk, as at July 2026, subject to change). Where capacity has already been lost, a family member usually has to apply to the Court of Protection to become a deputy instead, which tends to take longer and cost more. Many people choose to plan ahead for that reason.

About Fairchild Oldfield

Fairchild Oldfield are estate planning specialists and will writers based in England and Wales. We help families with wills, lasting powers of attorney and later-life planning.

We are not a firm of solicitors and do not carry out reserved legal activities. This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice.

Important: This article is general information only and is not legal, tax or financial advice. Reading it does not create a professional relationship. It is based on the law of England and Wales, and other UK jurisdictions may differ. Statistics are drawn from named OPG and ONS publications for the reference periods shown and may be revised. The age and fee rules are current as at July 2026 and are subject to change. Before acting, many people choose to seek advice from a suitably qualified professional, such as a solicitor, a STEP practitioner or an FCA-authorised financial adviser, who can consider their individual circumstances.

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