Gen Z is at a troublesome stage.
The oldest cohort born between 1997 and 2012 is in the heat from mid- to late 20s. Scratches on workplace culture The way it appears as it was titled (familiar, millennials?). As they know, the youngest Zoomer is about 13 years old, and the public school system still has a year that deals with frequent, intense confusion. Federal level uncertaintypoliticization of important services such as libraries. Continuous challenges to help students reach grade level.
We looked at Gen Z demographics, academics and mental health data to see how they have been doing since they came on the scene almost 30 years ago.
More diverse than ever
Gen Z represents approximately 69 million US residents. It’s 2 million fewer than the millennial cohort, but younger generations continue to have a more diversity trend. Among Zoomers, non-Hispanic whites fell to about half the population, According to the data Edited by the Annie E. Casey Foundation. The next largest ethnic group is Latinos, with 24%.
Gen Z has arrived 41 million eligible voters In 2024, and despite much of their education being a generation of generations that have been interrupted by Covid-19 and the fallout of the pandemic, the majority believe that education is an important part Improve the lives of children.
Childhood poverty is rising
According to an analysis by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, Gen Z experiences “very high poverty rates” compared to older generations. In 2011 and 2012, when the oldest Zoomer was 15, the rate peaked at 46% of people living in low-income households.
Childhood poverty grew with successors. When the first members of General Alpha arrived in 2013, 48% were born into low-income families.
Mixed academic achievements
Despite their early challenges, Zoomer still manages some impressive academic milestones. At the same time, Gen Z reached the highest level of children in low-income households. Thirty-four percent of students have reached the “skilled” designation of national mathematics assessment, the highest percentage of students since 2000, but the scores are hit since the 2019 pandemic.
Since Zoomer began reaching 16 in 2013, the percentage of students who dropped out of high school has fallen to the lowest level, stabilizing at 4%. For millennials, about 11% of those aged 16-19 left school without a degree.
That’s true for Gen Z students. Questioning the value of a university degree In a sense, their predecessors probably weren’t, so Zoomer has stabilized the proportion of young people in higher education. Analysis shows that just under 50% of people aged 18 to 24 have entered or graduated from university for over 10 years, and Zoomer entered that timeline in 2015 when he turned 18.
Mental health struggle
The debate about Gen Z’s mental health has been in the spotlight since the US Surgeon General He declared it a crisis 2021. About two-thirds of Zoomers say they have addressed at least one mental health issue within the previous two years. 2023 Report.
According to data from the Trevor project, LGBTQ+ young people are at even greater risk of depression and suicidal thoughts than their colleagues, and experts say finding acceptance and support plays an important role in improving mental health. Despite Gen Z gaining a reputation The most unsettling generationthey also care deeply about them Mental health of friends.
