Gen Z’s life satisfaction has dropped to its lowest level in three years, according to a new Gallup survey.
The Gallup and the Walton Family Foundation report found that just 45 percent of Gen Z-ers were considered to be “thriving,” which means less than half rated their current lives positively and anticipated they would continue to rate their lives positively in five years.
The survey was conducted from May 16 to 27, 2025, with nearly 3,800 Gen Zers.
Why It Matters
Gen Z, which includes those aged 13 to 28, is facing more difficult financial circumstances than many of their elders.
With high inflation on food and housing and the costs of higher education skyrocketing, many are forgoing college and delaying major life decisions like marriage and starting a family.
The younger age cohort also experienced social isolation during formative years as a result of the coronavirus pandemic and are the first generation to grow up fully immersed with social media and smartphones.
What To Know
While just 45 percent of Gen Z were considered thriving in the Gallup report, the drop from 49 percent in 2024 was concentrated amongst certain groups more than others.
Amongst Gen Z adults, only 39 percent are thriving, also down five points from 2024. The drop was especially driven by adult Gen Z women, of which only 37 percent said they are thriving compared to 46 percent in 2024.
“We’ve seen some leading indicators of this and other federal research that’s been released showing that women are really struggling with anxiety and depression at a very high rate,” Stephanie Marken, senior partner at Gallup, told Newsweek. “I think it’s clouding their overall views of their lives, and that’s what we see manifesting in this particular research effort.”
Gen Z middle and high school students were much more likely to be thriving, at 56 percent.
The drop in life evaluation was consistent for both Democrats and Republicans, but the percentage of Democrats who said they were thriving was lower at 36 percent this year, (42 percent in 2024) compared to 55 percent of Republicans (61 percent in 2024) for Gen Z.
Across the board, however, Marken said those with higher levels of education are less likely to experience as significant a drop in overall well-being
“One of the theories is that education can be something of an insulating factor, make people a little bit more resilient to these significant well-being declines,” Marken said. “So, I think we know a lot about what can blunt or mitigate those well-being declines.”
Some of Gen Z’s lower life satisfaction rates could still be tied to the social isolation they faced during the pandemic, which hit for many during their prime years in college or high school.
“During the pandemic, we saw significant issues of isolation and loneliness among young people,” Marken said. “And I don’t think we have great evidence that a lot of that has abated in a lot of ways. Some of those issues of isolation and loneliness have really remained, despite a return to work or a return to school policy that would make you imagine a very different world.”
While social media plays a role, Gen Z also faces unique economic stressors including student debt, housing unaffordability, and job market uncertainty despite high educational achievement, Dr. Lauren Hartman, a double board-certified physician in Adolescent Medicine and Pediatrics, said.
“Climate anxiety represents a particularly novel challenge,” Hartman told Newsweek. “The American Academy of Pediatrics identifies climate change as an emerging major influence on child mental health, with exposed children experiencing PTSD, depression, anxiety, and in severe cases, suicidal ideation. This creates what researchers call ‘anticipatory grief,’ mourning a future they fear may not exist.”
She added: “Post-pandemic social isolation and political polarization compound these factors. Rather than a single cause, it’s the cumulative weight of these interconnected pressures that distinguishes this generation’s mental health challenges from previous ones.”
Matt Cardy/Getty Images
What People Are Saying
Dr. Lauren Hartman, a double board-certified physician in Adolescent Medicine and Pediatrics, told Newsweek: “Gen Z’s declining life satisfaction creates a concerning feedback loop between psychological distress and economic instability. As this generation enters its most productive years, reduced well-being translates into decreased productivity, innovation, and workforce engagement, potentially impacting long-term economic growth.”
Bryan Driscoll, an HR consultant who specializes in generational differences, told Newsweek: “I don’t think Gen Z is struggling because they’re fragile or unmotivated or whatever. They’re struggling because the system is broken. Wages haven’t kept up with costs, housing is out of reach, and the American Dream is a scam. Women in particular carry the brunt of it, juggling inequitable pay, workplace sexism, and a political environment that treats their rights like bargaining chips.”
What Happens Next?
If more young Americans are no longer able to obtain a higher education, there could be long term implications for overall life satisfaction and wellbeing levels
And the declining life evaluation rates could reflect widespread dissatisfaction in the economy and political systems Gen Z has inherited, Driscoll said.
“The big picture is pretty bleak. Mental health resources remain often inaccessible, while social media fuels comparison anxiety. The economy tells young people to hustle harder but the payoff never comes,” he said. “This drop in life satisfaction isn’t surprising to me. It’s a flashing red warning light that our economic and political structures are failing multiple generations.”