Tool ownership was widespread among adults in Great Britain in a YouGov survey fielded on 3–4 April 2015. Among 1,906 respondents, screwdrivers, hammers, and paint brushes were the most commonly owned items, while planes were the least common of the seven tools measured. The figures are self-reported ownership percentages, not estimates of current ownership in 2026.
Contents
- Overall tool ownership
- Ownership by gender
- Younger adults aged 18–24
- Adults aged 25–39
- Adults aged 40–59
- Adults aged 60 and over
- Ownership by social grade
Overall tool ownership
The survey measured ownership of seven conventional DIY tools. Basic hand tools led the results: 88% of surveyed Great Britain adults owned a screwdriver and 85% owned a hammer. Paint brushes were owned by 80%, putting them close to the two leading tools.
Ownership was lower for tools associated with drilling, sawing, and woodworking. A power drill was owned by 64% of respondents, while 56% owned a woodsaw and 53% owned a chisel. A plane was the least commonly owned item, at 36%.
| Tool | Share of surveyed adults owning it |
|---|---|
| Screwdriver | 88% |
| Hammer | 85% |
| Paint brushes | 80% |
| Power drill | 64% |
| Woodsaw | 56% |
| Chisel | 53% |
| Plane | 36% |
Source: YouGov Survey Report, fieldwork 3–4 April 2015.
The pattern places everyday repair tools above specialist woodworking tools. It also shows that ownership was not limited to small hand tools: nearly two-thirds of the surveyed adults reported owning a power drill. These percentages describe each tool separately; respondents could select multiple tools, so they should not be added together.
Looking at the overall results as a practical tool set, the most widely available items were the tools commonly associated with basic household repairs and decorating. Screwdrivers and hammers each exceeded four-fifths of respondents, while paint brushes reached the same broad range. A power drill was less universal but still reported by a majority. Woodsaws and chisels were owned by around half of respondents, and planes by just over one-third.
The ranking is useful for separating common access from specialist ownership. A household could report ownership of several items because the survey permitted multiple answers, but the figures do not show whether the tools were kept together, used regularly, or owned by the individual answering the survey. They also do not distinguish between new and older tools, between working and unusable tools, or between tools bought personally and tools acquired through a household. The measurement is ownership as reported during the April 2015 fieldwork.
Ownership by gender
Reported ownership was similar for men and women across the most common tools. Screwdriver ownership was 89% among surveyed men and 87% among surveyed women. Hammer ownership was 86% among men and 83% among women, while paint-brush ownership was 79% among men and 81% among women.
The gender differences were also modest for the remaining tools. Power-drill ownership was 66% among men and 63% among women. Woodsaw ownership was 59% among men and 53% among women. Men reported chisel ownership at 52%, compared with 54% among women. Plane ownership was 33% among men and 38% among women.
| Tool | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|
| Screwdriver | 89% | 87% |
| Hammer | 86% | 83% |
| Paint brushes | 79% | 81% |
| Power drill | 66% | 63% |
| Woodsaw | 59% | 53% |
| Chisel | 52% | 54% |
| Plane | 33% | 38% |
Source: YouGov Survey Report, Great Britain fieldwork 3–4 April 2015.
The survey therefore showed broadly comparable reported ownership by gender. The largest difference in the listed figures was for woodsaws, at six percentage points, followed by planes at five percentage points in the opposite direction. These are subgroup percentages from the survey and do not establish why the differences occurred.
Younger adults aged 18–24
Adults aged 18–24 reported the lowest ownership levels among the age groups shown. A screwdriver was owned by 63% of surveyed Great Britain adults in this age band, and a hammer by 54%. Paint brushes were owned by 51%.
Ownership of equipment and woodworking tools was lower still. The share reporting a power drill was 31%, while 24% owned a woodsaw and 23% owned a chisel. Plane ownership was 14%, the lowest age-specific result in the survey.
These figures provide a snapshot of ownership among 18–24-year-olds in April 2015. They do not measure tool use, frequency of DIY activity, access to tools belonging to another household member, or ownership at a later date.
Adults aged 25–39
Ownership increased in the 25–39 age group compared with the 18–24 group for every listed tool. Among surveyed Great Britain adults aged 25–39, 85% owned a screwdriver and 82% owned a hammer. Paint brushes were owned by 70%.
More than half, 52%, reported owning a power drill. Woodsaw ownership was 40%, and chisel ownership was 33%. A plane was owned by 18% of respondents in this age group.
| Tool | Ages 18–24 | Ages 25–39 |
|---|---|---|
| Screwdriver | 63% | 85% |
| Hammer | 54% | 82% |
| Paint brushes | 51% | 70% |
| Power drill | 31% | 52% |
| Woodsaw | 24% | 40% |
| Chisel | 23% | 33% |
| Plane | 14% | 18% |
Source: YouGov Survey Report, fieldwork 3–4 April 2015.
The age comparison is descriptive. It shows different reported ownership levels between the two groups, but the survey results supplied here do not explain whether the differences relate to household formation, housing, income, DIY experience, or other factors.
Adults aged 40–59
Reported ownership was higher among adults aged 40–59 than among the younger groups for all seven tools. Screwdrivers were owned by 94% of surveyed Great Britain adults aged 40–59, and hammers by 92%. Paint brushes were owned by 88%.
Three-quarters, or 75%, reported owning a power drill. Woodsaw ownership was 65%, and chisel ownership was 61%. Plane ownership reached 43% in this age group.
The results show that ownership of both general-purpose tools and woodworking tools was common among 40–59-year-olds in the 2015 survey. The figures remain a historical benchmark rather than a current measure of the group.
Adults aged 60 and over
Adults aged 60 and over recorded the highest or joint-highest reported ownership for every tool in the age breakdown. Screwdriver ownership was 94%, matching the 40–59 group. Hammer ownership was 91%, and paint-brush ownership was also 91%.
Power-drill ownership stood at 77%. Woodsaws and chisels were each owned by 72% of surveyed adults aged 60 and over. Plane ownership was 54%, the highest age-specific result for that tool.
Compared with the 40–59 group, the 60-plus group reported the same screwdriver ownership, one percentage point less hammer ownership, and three percentage points more paint-brush ownership. The older group also reported higher ownership of power drills, woodsaws, chisels, and planes in the supplied results.
Ownership by social grade
The YouGov table also reported ownership among ABC1 and C2DE social-grade groups in Great Britain. The differences were small for most tools. Screwdriver ownership was 88% among surveyed ABC1 adults and 87% among surveyed C2DE adults. Hammer ownership was 85% and 84%, respectively.
Paint-brush ownership was 80% among ABC1 adults and 79% among C2DE adults. Power-drill ownership was 65% for ABC1 and 63% for C2DE. Woodsaw ownership was identical at 56% in both groups.
Chisel ownership was 53% among ABC1 adults and 52% among C2DE adults. Plane ownership was the only listed tool for which the C2DE figure was higher: 38%, compared with 35% among ABC1 adults.
| Tool | ABC1 | C2DE |
|---|---|---|
| Screwdriver | 88% | 87% |
| Hammer | 85% | 84% |
| Paint brushes | 80% | 79% |
| Power drill | 65% | 63% |
| Woodsaw | 56% | 56% |
| Chisel | 53% | 52% |
| Plane | 35% | 38% |
Source: YouGov Survey Report, Great Britain fieldwork 3–4 April 2015.
The social-grade figures should be read as paired survey results, not as ownership counts. The survey allowed multiple answers, and the percentages for different tools describe separate ownership measures. No number of owners is inferred from these percentages.
Across the available breakdowns, the clearest contrast was by age: reported ownership was lowest among 18–24-year-olds and generally highest among adults aged 40 and over. Gender and social-grade differences were comparatively narrow in this survey. Because the source was fielded in April 2015, these results are best used as a dated Great Britain benchmark for DIY tool ownership, not as a forecast or a current national estimate.