Equalize: Gender differences in political opinion and voting among Generation Z
A new political gender divide is often said to be defining Gen Z in Europe: young women moving left; young men moving right. But is this really the case?
Drawing on European Social Survey Data across the EU and beyond, as well as focus groups with young people in Germany, Greece, Poland, Spain and Sweden, this policy study offers a more nuanced answer. It shows that gender differences among young Europeans are real but uneven across countries and issues. The clearest gaps appear in ideological self-placement and attitudes towards gender equality, while differences in voting behaviour are less pronounced than public debate often suggests.
Rather than a simple cultural clash between young women and men, the study reveals a generation shaped by shared insecurity: rising living costs; housing pressures; unstable labour markets; climate anxiety; and weakening trust in political institutions. It argues that the emerging divide is best understood not as a deep ideological rupture, but as a reflection of precarity, uncertainty and contested interpretations of gender equality, as well as the different importance young women and men attach to it, despite the principle itself remaining broadly shared.
By linking gender equality to economic security, social protection, mental wellbeing, inclusive social norms and effective governance, this policy study sets out forward-looking recommendations for rebuilding trust, opportunity and democratic resilience across generations.