When Gen Zs are asked what makes their generation different than Millennials, the most common response is that they’re more depressed and stressed; just 13% of Gen Zs see themselves as more sustainable than Millennials. And while many Gen Z still feel their generation is uniquely socially conscious, they feel less patriotic to their country, put more stock into confidence, courage and ambition and are less critical of the world’s richest capitalist, Elon Musk. Gen Z has grown out of the sustainable, cause-driven stereotype of its younger years and is focusing on themselves and their futures.
That future includes unique challenges at a market level. Youth unemployment has made it hard to start earning at a young age, while high housing prices have made it difficult to take the first step into independent adulthood. Meanwhile, this is a relatively small cohort and is years away from peak earnings – meaning their purchasing power is limited. It’s an important target to connect with, but also one with clear drawbacks.
Those challenges create opportunity, though. Brands that can tailor their messaging to resonate with Gen Zs and make them feel seen will have the inside track with this generation. They want their struggles to be acknowledged and help to overcome the hurdles in front of them, so they can have the lives they envisioned.
This report looks at the following areas:
- An overview of the Gen Z cohort today – including population size, diversity, finances and mental health
- A look at Gen Z’s values, self-perceptions and views of the world today
- A week in the life of Gen Zs: analyzing their habits and frequency
- The role of social media in Gen Zs’ lives
- How Gen Zs use mobile apps, mobile sites and desktop sites for different tasks
- Reviewing examples of how brands are targeting Gen Zs today
The unique challenges that Gen Z has faced – and continues to face – are resulting in a shift away from collectivism and towards individualism.
Scott Stewart, Associate Director, Lifestyles & Retail
Market Definitions
Gen Z is defined as the generation born between 1997 and 2010 (aged 15-28 in 2025). For the purposes of this Report, Mintel focuses on adult Gen Z, aged 18-28.
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- Market definition and sample note
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
- What you need to know
- What consumers want & why
- Market predictions
- Opportunities
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TARGET MARKET OVERVIEW
- Market context
- A timeline of Gen Z, from 1997 to today
- Gen Z was in school when the COVID-19 pandemic started
- Gen Z are heavy users of social media and YouTube
- Graph 1: sites/apps used daily, overall vs Gen Z, 2025
- Gen Z is positive about AI
- Graph 2: words associated with artificial intelligence, by generation, 2024
- Gen Z by the numbers
- Gen Z is not a big generation
- Graph 3: population by generation, 2024
- The implications of a smaller population cohort
- Gen Z is a diverse population
- Graph 4: visible minority as a share of population, by age, 2021
- Family life and settling down are different for Gen Z than past generations
- Graph 5: number of children per 1,000 women, by age, 1991-2023
- The downward trend in birth rates will probably continue
- Gen Z and the economy
- Gen Z’s best earning years are ahead of them
- Graph 6: median income, by age, 2022
- Youth unemployment is climbing, especially among teens
- Graph 7: unemployment rate among 15-24 year olds, 2022-2025
- Gen Z may have been indirectly impacted by Canada’s TFW programs
- Graph 8: number of temporary foreign worker positions by stream, 2017-24
- Gen Zs face a very unaffordable housing market
- Graph 9: housing affordability index, 2000-24
- Housing unaffordability has a ripple effect on Gen Zs’ lives
- Graph 10: who lives in the household, Generation Z, 2025
- Despite challenges, Gen Zs are feeling positive about their finances
- Graph 11: current and future financial situation, overall vs Gen Z, 2025
- How tariffs could impact Gen Z
- Gen Z and mental health
- Half of Gen Zs don’t feel very mentally healthy
- Graph 12: current state of mental health and wellbeing, overall vs Generation Z, 2024
- Stress and anxiety are the leading mental health concerns for Gen Z
- Graph 13: mental health concerns/conditions experienced in the past 12 months, overall vs Generation Z, 2024
- Gen Z has their whole life ahead of them – and that’s stressful
- Graph 14: biggest contributors to stress, overall vs Gen Z, 2025
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CONSUMER INSIGHTS
- Consumer fast facts
- Consumer fast facts (continued)
- Gen Z’s values and self-perceptions
- Gen Zs have different value priorities compared with other consumers
- Graph 15: values/traits most important to a person’s character (respondents could select up to three), overall vs Gen Z, 2025
- Gen Z men and women see some values and traits differently
- Graph 16: values/traits most important to a person’s character (respondents could select up to three), Gen Z by gender, 2025
- Explaining these differences
- How these priorities could impact this generation
- The US is seeing a similar individualistic shift in young people
- Gen Z doesn’t feel very good about itself today
- Graph 17: compared to Millennials, Gen Zs are more…, 2025
- Younger Gen Zs have a slightly different opinion about their generation
- Graph 18: compared to Millennials, Gen Zs are more…, Gen Z by age, 2025
- Sustainability isn’t the differentiator it once seemed to be
- Gen Zs feel anti-social and are less connected to their communities
- Graph 19: “I know the names of most of my neighbours” % agree, by generation, 2025
- Social connections in a digital age are a worldwide problem
- Brands need to reflect Gen Z back to themselves
- Gen Z today: how their views of the world today can impact their consumer attitudes
- Gen Z doesn’t feel very patriotic
- Graph 20: feelings of patriotism towards Canada, overall vs Gen Z, 2025
- Gen Z women are particularly unlikely to feel patriotic
- Graph 21: feelings of patriotism towards Canada, overall vs Gen Z by gender, 2025
- Patriotism tends to increase with age
- Graph 22: feelings of patriotism towards Canada – very patriotic, by generation, 2025
- Gen Z is also more positive about the impact of US policies on Canada
- Graph 23: the Trump administration is having a positive impact on…, overall vs Gen Z, April 2025
- Why low patriotism could be a generational shift
- Gen Z’s opinions of Elon Musk are illustrative of broader attitudes
- Graph 24: opinion of Elon Musk, overall vs Gen Z, 2025
- Support for Musk correlates with specific character values and traits
- Graph 25: opinion of Elon Musk – any positive (NET), Gen Z by values/traits important to a person’s character, 2025
- Gen Z men are more positive about Musk
- Why opinions of Elon Musk matter
- Understanding how Gen Z views the world in 2025
- A week in the life of Gen Z
- Delivery makes Gen Z food habits unique
- Graph 26: frequency of behaviours – food, overall vs Gen Z, 2025
- Men are the most frequent delivery consumers
- Graph 27: order restaurant food for delivery at least once per week, Gen Z by gender, 2025
- Unemployed Gen Zs order food delivery as much as the average consumer
- Food delivery became normalized when Gen Z was growing up
- Looking ahead: the implications of this ingrained behaviour
- Gen Z is twice as likely to play video games daily as they are to post on social media
- Graph 28: frequency of behaviours – leisure/entertainment, overall vs Gen Z, 2025
- Gen Z men engage in these behaviours more frequently
- Graph 29: frequency of leisure/entertainment behaviours – weekly (NET), Gen Z by gender, 2025
- Putting gaming and posting into perspective
- Gen Z’s wellness routines involve more focus on mental health
- Graph 30: frequency of behaviours – wellness, overall vs Gen Z, 2025
- Worse mental health and more mental wellness routines doesn’t add up
- There’s a broad range of mental wellness techniques and routines
- Graph 31: ways of managing mental health, Gen Z, 2024
- Acknowledging the delicate balance of mental wellness solutions for brands
- Gen Z drives less often than others, takes public transit more than others
- Graph 32: frequency of behaviours – transportation, overall vs Gen Z, 2025
- Certain Gen Zs are far more likely to use public transit
- Graph 33: use public transit every day/almost every day, Gen Z by time in Canada, student status, employment status and home ownership, 2025
- Time on transit means time on phones
- Auto prices could keep some Gen Zs on public transit
- Weekly routines may be mundane, but they’re repetitive and therefore, valuable
- How Gen Z uses social media
- Social media is primarily a source of entertainment for Gen Z
- Graph 34: the role of social media in their lives, overall vs Gen Z, 2025
- Video game and lifestyle content drive YouTube usage
- Graph 35: types of videos typically watched on YouTube, overall vs Gen Z, 2025
- Millennials went from linear to streaming, Gen Z is going from streaming to social
- Social media content is highly customizable
- Graph 36: the role of social media in their lives – hobbies and tips, overall vs Gen Z, 2025
- Tips, tricks and hacks can come from influencers and brands
- Social media participation is layered
- Graph 37: the role of social media in their lives – expression and entrepreneurship, overall vs Gen Z, 2025
- Men are the most likely to leverage social media
- Graph 38: the role of social media in their lives – income/entrepreneurship, Gen Z by gender, 2025
- Brand interaction is not a top priority
- Graph 39: the role of social media in their lives, Gen Z, 2025
- Give Gen Z a good reason to follow your brand
- For Gen Z, social media is complex and multifaceted
- How Gen Z uses mobile apps, mobile sites and desktop sites
- Social media and digital content illustrates how platform usage varies
- Graph 40: platforms used most often for task – digital content/communication, Gen Z, 2025
- Those skews are similar, but less pronounced, among consumers overall
- Graph 41: platforms used most often for task – digital content/communication, 2025
- Platform usage can impact users’ experiences with content and ads
- Desktop usage of YouTube means more opportunity for wide shots
- A small but meaningful difference
- Gen Zs are photo editors because of their phones
- Graph 42: platforms used most often for task – editing photos, overall vs Gen Z, 2025
- Sites and apps play different roles in the path to purchase
- Graph 43: platforms used most often for task – shopping and purchases, Gen Z, 2025
- How small variances influence platform usage
- Gen Z does most of its banking in the app
- Graph 44: platforms used most often for task – banking, Gen Z, 2025
- CIBC strikes more than one chord with Gen Z here
- Gen Zs don’t know a world without mobile banking
- Gen Z is a mobile generation, but there’s nuance to how they use those devices
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COMPETITIVE STRATEGIES
- Launch activity and innovation
- A new way of buying and selling homes could save Gen Z money on a purchase
- Using Gen Z’s affinity for AI to solve Gen Z’s mental health challenges
- In some cases, AI’s unbiased opinion is the whole point
- Google is leveraging AI to improve its Google Shopping experience
- Experiences are more attainable with buy now, pay later financing
- Marketing and advertising
- Credit Karma wants to help Gen Z avoid money dysmorphia
- Cooking skills have become a differentiator in the dating world
- Using different approaches to support mental health
- Opportunities
- Brands are using Gen Z’s unique traits to solve their unique problems
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APPENDIX
- Consumer research methodology
- Consumer research questions
- Consumer research questions: crosstabs
- Consumer research questions: curated questions
- Consumer research questions: curated questions (continued)
- Generations
- Abbreviations and terms
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