Falling property prices mean that many will get less than they expect, according to Friends Provident.
Some younger Britons could be facing a nightmare financial future due to their reluctance to discuss the issue of inheritance with their family.
Friends Provident, an insurer, said that youngsters' expectations of how much money they will inherit from deceased parents consistently outstrips the actual amount they are likely to receive. Moreover, the report showed that the recent downturn has significantly affected the size of parents' estates.
The insurer's report explains that people expect to be left an average of £64,000, with 61 percent expecting that property will form part of the assets collected together for their inheritance. However, Friends Provident also showed that 44 percent of adults are "not concerned" about the effects of the recession - despite the fact that house prices have dropped by an average of £42,500 per property.
A general lack of communication between the generations was also exposed by the research. Just 38 percent of people had discussed with their parents whether or not they would be left a "significant" sum, while only 14 percent are "clear" about how much they will actually be getting.
Martin Palmer, head of corporate pensions marketing at Friends Provident, said: "Whether people realise it or not, the concept of inheritance is changing. People may still hope that an inheritance will fund their retirement years but our research shows this can no longer be relied upon.
"With an over reliance on property, the credit crunch has wiped thousands of pounds off the value of imminent inheritances, and a lack of communication within families around inheritance could also cause a reality or expectation gap."
Friends Provident's report highlighted a new trend which it termed "Retired Relatives". Around 20 percent of people aged 66 years old and over were found to have parents still living - meaning that they have yet to receive their own inheritance.
