2026年Z世代与千禧一代调查报告

2026

GenZ

and

MillennialSurveyProgressonTheirOwnTermsThe

data

pointstoa

needto

redefineleadership.

Interest

in

managementandsenior

roles

is

highamong

GenZs

andmillennials,

but

it’s

notthe

priorityfor

most,as

leadership

continues

to

be

associatedwith

burnout,

unsustainable

workloads,andinsufficient

support.

Rather

than

rejectingleadership

outright,

GenZsand

millennials

aresignalingthatthe

old

model

no

longerworks.Theyarewillingto

lead,

buttheywantto

doso

in

environmentsthat

prioritizeflexibility,well

being,and

meaningful

impact.These

generations

want

to

build

durablefoundations

before

making

life-definingmoves.They

are

seeking

stability

beforecommittingto

major

decisions.Andtheirambition

istempered

bya

demandfora

manageable

workload,

clear

support,and

achievable

pathways

to

success.Theyare

choosingwhat

issustainable,

notperformative,andaligning

life

choiceswith

realistic

conditions

ratherthantraditionaltimelines.This

15thanniversary

reporttellsa

comingofagestory

notofdelay,

butofdiscernment.GenZsand

millennials

are

adaptingtoaworldthat

has

demanded

resilienceearlyand

often.Theyare

movingforwardthoughtfully,selectively,and

ontheir

ownterms.

Howthey

navigate

uncertainty—how

they

define

success,weigh

tradeoffs,and

engagewith

employers—will

helpset

the

norms

GenAlphasencounterastheybegin

entering

the

workforce

in

a

few

years.This

underscores

a

broader

reality:Whatgenerations

need,want,and

expect

fromWhen

Deloitte

started

this

research

15years

ago

as“TheVoice

of

Millennials”,millennials

were

entering

the

workforcein

large

numbers

and

challenging

long-standing

assumptions

about

work

and

theemployer-employee

relationship.As

GenZs

began

to

enter

the

workforce

five

yearslater,we

expanded

ourscopeto

includetheir

unique

perspectives.

Now,as

thesegenerations

increasingly

become

parentsand

caregivers

at

home

and

managers

andleaders

intheworkforce,

Deloitte’s

GlobalGenZand

Millennial

Survey

continuestoexamine

how

they

think

about

work,

life,and

leadership.This

year,the

report

reflects

the

views

ofmore

than22,500

Gen

Zs

(born

between1995and

2007)and

millennials

(bornbetween

1983and

1994)across

44countries.

Italso

includes

insightsfrombusiness

leadersacross

markets

basedonqualitative

interviews.Over

the

past

15years,these

generationshave

changedwork

intangibleways:

Drivingan

evolution

in

leadershipandworkplaceculture;

normalizingflexibleand

hybridwork;advancing

more

open

conversationsabout

mental

health;and

elevating

purposeand

values

as

visible

factors

in

careerdecisions.But

while

expectations

have

shifted

andnorms

have

evolved,somestructuralrealities

have

beenslowertofollow.

Intheface

ofeconomic

pressure,

rising

costsofliving,

housing

constraints,geopoliticalinstability,and

rapidtechnological

change,many

Gen

Zs

and

millennials

are

choosingto

sequence

ambition—investing

firstinskills,stability,

andwell-being

beforecommittingto

roles

or

pathsthatfeel

unsustainable.Thesegenerations

came

ofage

duringaperiod

marked

by

repeated

disruption.Those

conditions

did

more

than

shapeattitudes;they

altered

timelines.Traditional

milestones—buying

a

house,starting

afamily,stepping

confidently

intoseniorleadership—have

become

harder

to

reachand

often

come

with

greater

tradeoffs

thanprevious

generations

faced.Despiteexternal

pressures,

many

GenZsand

millennialsare

maintaininga

positiveoutlook.

Bothgenerationsare

moreoptimistic

about

their

personal

financialfutures

than

about

the

broader

economy.Theyareactively

reshapingtheir

careersthrough

continuous

learningandskilldevelopment.They

largelyseetheproliferation

of

AIasan

accelerant,

not

athreat,

expecting

ittofree

up

moretime,improve

output,

open

new

pathsforgrowth,and

create

new

opportunities

for

entry-levelworkers—but

many

also

feel

that

they

areadapting

to

AI

faster

than

theirorganizations.And

for

these

generations,purpose

remains

central:

Morethannine

in

10say

it

is

importanttotheirjobsatisfaction,and

many

are

already

workingin

rolesalignedwiththeirvalues.Elizabeth

FaberDeloitte

GlobalChief

People&

Purpose

Officerworkwillandshould

continueto

evolve.Meetingthat

reality

requires

dynamicmodelsthatare

constantlyadapting.It

is

my

hopethat

organizationswill

usethese

important

insightsto

help

createworkplacesthat

can

keep

upwiththepace

ofevolving

needs,

priorities,andexpectations,andenable

people,

acrossgenerations,to

thrive

on

their

own

terms.2©2026.Forinformation/contactDeloitteToucheTohmatsuLimited.Deloitte

Global

2026Gen

Z

and

Millennial

SurveyALetterfromElizabethFaberFinancialpressureisshapingboth

personalandprofessionaldecisionsForthefifth

consecutiveyear,

cost

ofliving

isthe

top

concern

for

Gen

Zs

and

millennials,

farsurpassingothersocietal

andworkplaceconcerns.

Financial

strain

has

become

adefiningfeature

ofhowthesegenerationswork,

live,and

planforthefuture.

Nearlyhalfofrespondents

report

living

paycheckto

paycheck.A

majority(69%

ofGenZs

and64%

ofmillennials)saythatthe

availability

oraffordability

ofhousing

hasa

direct

impact

ontheircareerdecisions

andwhere

theycanwork,and

51%

ofGenZs

and

40%

ofmillennialssaythey

cannotaffordto

own

ahouse.Morethan

halfofGenZs

(55%)

andmillennials(52%)saythey

are

delayingmajor

life

decisions,suchas

marriage,starting

a

family

or

business,

or

furtheringeducation,

due

to

their

financial

situation.Despitethese

pressures,optimism

persists,particularly

among

Gen

Zs:

53%

expecttheir

personalfinancialsituationto

improveoverthe

nextyear,

comparedwith45%

ofmillennials.Leadershipambitionsareconditional

asmanyconsiderthetradeoffsConsistentwith

lastyear’sfindings,

only

6%ofGenZsand

millennials

say

achieving

aleadership

position

is

their

primary

careergoal.Amongthosewhoare

not

prioritizing

leadership

roles,the

mostcited

barriersare

perceptionsofstressand

burnout,excessive

responsibility,and

concernsabout

work/life

balance.When

asked

abouttheir

ideal

career

path,

most

favor

steadyprogress

over

fast-paced

advancement.

Just25%

ofGenZsand

21%

ofmillennials

preferrapid

promotionsandtitle

changes,whileothersarewillingto

make

lateral

movesor

step

back

to

gain

the

experience

theybelievewillsupport

long-termsuccess.This

reflectscautionaboutthetradeoffsleadership

may

present,

nota

lack

ofambition.

Overthecourseof

their

careers,76%

ofGenZsand

67%

of

millennials

saythey

are

interested

in

pursuing

senior

orexecutive

leadership

roles.

Beyond

highercompensation,the

conditions

that

wouldmake

leadership

moreappealing

include

flexibleworkarrangementsandgreaterclarity

about

the

paths

to

leadershipwithintheir

organizations.Together,thesefindingssuggestthattraditional

leadershipmodelsare

misalignedwith

expectationsaroundwell-being.

Regardless

ofwhetherthey

currently

hold

leadership

roles,

69%ofGenZsand

millennials

believetheyhavethe

powerto

drive

changewithintheir

organization,suggestingthat

evenwhen

individuals

postpone

leadershiproles

or

major

career

moves,they

still

seethemselvesascontributorswho

canshapeoutcomes

from

where

they

are.Adaptabilityisnowacorecareer

capabilityWhile

uncertainty

has

slowed

some

majordecisions,

it

hasaccelerated

how

GenZsand

millennials

invest

intheir

ownemployability.Theyare

respondingtorapidworkplace

change

by

prioritizingskills

development,

continuous

learning,and

innovativetoolssuchasAI.As

a

result,adaptability

has

becomea

core

careercapability,

onethat

enablesthemto

remainrelevantand

resilientamid

constant

change.3©2026.Forinformation/contactDeloitteToucheTohmatsuLimited.Deloitte

Global

2026Gen

Z

and

Millennial

SurveyExecutiveSummary4©2026.Forinformation/contactDeloitteToucheTohmatsuLimited.Mentalhealthisimproving,butstress

remainsembeddedineveryday

workOverall

mental

health

istrending

upward.Sixty-three

percent

ofGenZsand

66%

ofmillennials

now

ratetheir

mental

healthasgood

or

extremelygood,

upfrom

52%and58%,

respectively,

in

2025.Stress,

however,remains

a

baseline

experience.

Roughlyone-third

report

feeling

anxious

or

stressedmost

orall

ofthetime,

driven

byfinancialpressuresandworkplacefactorssuch

aslongworking

hours.The

proliferation

ofdigitaltoolsand

platformsadds

to

thisstrain:

Morethan

halfofGenZs(58%)

andmillennials(54%)

report

experiencing

digitalfatigue,feeling

overwhelmed

by

constantalertsandthe

needto

navigate

multipletoolsand

platforms.

Ratherthan

easingworkloads,

digital

complexity

can

intensifyfeelings

of

pressure

and

fragmentationthroughout

the

workday.Whilethere

is

certainly

moreworkto

do,thisyear’s

data

reveals

meaningful

andsustained

progresstowardssupportiveworkenvironments,whereemployerstakethe

mental

health

of

employees

seriouslyand

have

policies

in

placeto

help,andwherepeople

feel

more

comfortable

speaking

withtheir

managers

about

mental

health.AIadoptionisacceleratingfaster

than

organizationalreadinessAIadoption

is

now

mainstream.

Nearlythree-quarters

of

Gen

Zs(74%)

andmillennials(74%)

report

usingAItosomeextent

intheir

day-to-daywork,asharpincrease

from

the

57%

of

Gen

Zs

and

56%of

millennials

who

said

the

same

a

yearago.AI’s

role

extends

beyond

productivity,

with

many

also

using

it

as

atoolforwell-beingandgrowth.

Respondentsare

usingAIto

identify

learningand

developmentopportunities(79%

of

Gen

Zs

andmillennials),seek

careeradvice(72%

ofGenZsand

69%

ofmillennials),

and

copewithwork

related

stress(67%

of

Gen

Zs

and

65%ofmillennials).Despite

widespread

use,

many

Gen

Zsand

millennialsfeeltheir

organizationsare

not

prepared.The

systems,tools,andtrainingthey

rely

on

are

lagging

behindindividualAIadoption.

Lack

ofknowledgeand

experience

isthe

most

cited

barrierto

effectiveAI

use.Around

one-third

ofrespondents

do

not

believetheir

employerissufficientlytraining

employees

onthecapabilities,

benefits,andvalue

of

AI,andaround30%saytheir

employer

is

notpreparedforthe

changesthatAIwill

bring.Deloitte

Global

2026Gen

Z

and

Millennial

SurveyExecutiveSummaryPurposeandconnectiondefinetheideal

workplaceandinfluence

retentionNearlyall

respondents(96%

ofGen

Zsand

97%

ofmillennials)saythat

having

asense

of

purpose

at

work

is

important

totheir

overall

job

satisfaction

and

well-being.Andthis

is

backed

by

behavior:About40%of

respondents

have

rejected

a

potentialemployer

based

on

their

personal

ethicsor

beliefs,and

68%

ofGenZs

and

72%

of

millennialssaytheircurrent

job

enablesthemto

makea

meaningful

contributiontosociety.Social

connection

also

plays

an

importantrole.

Roughlytwo-thirds

ofrespondentsin

bothgenerationssaythey

haveat

leastone

close

personal

friend

at

work.Thosewith

close

workplace

friendships

are

morelikelyto

plantostaywiththeir

organizationlonger.Among

GenZs,thosewith

closeworkplacefriendshipsare

15

points

morelikelytostaywiththeir

organizationfor

morethan

five

years(48%vs.33%).This

trendis

evenstrongeramong

millennials:Thosewith

close

workplace

friendships

are

18points

more

likelythanthosewithouttosaythey

plan

to

stay

with

their

organization

formore

than

five

years(61%vs.43%).Asamajor

generationaltransitionapproaches,preservingknowledgeis

criticalAs

large

numbers

ofbaby-boomerandolder

GenerationXworkersapproachretirement,

organizations

face

growingriskaround

knowledge

continuity.

Onlyabout

half

of

Gen

Zs

and

millennials

saytheirteams

could

maintain

performanceifa

key

expert

lefttomorrow,

citing

limitedincentivesfor

knowledgesharing,

lack

oftime,and

high

turnover

as

barriers.At

thesametime,

GenAlphaswill

begin

enteringthe

workforce

in

a

few

years,

promptingleaderstoviewthe

challengeasa

leadershipand

work

design

challenge—preservinginstitutional

knowledgewhile

creating

rolesthat

deliberately

build

human

judgment,influence,and

collaboration

inanAI-poweredworkplace.Deloitte

Global

2026Gen

Z

and

Millennial

SurveyExecutiveSummary©2026.Forinformation/contactDeloitteToucheTohmatsuLimited5.1:The‘Maybe

Later’Reality:

Financial

Pressure

and

Delayed

Decisions2:Leadership,

Reconsidered3:Continuous

Learning

andAdaptability

as

a

Career

Strategy4:

AI

andthe

Readiness

Gap5:Well-being

as

Infrastructure6:

The

IdealWorkplace:Where

Purpose

and

Connection

Converge7:The

FutureThey’re

Preparing

For8:Research

methodologyTableof

Contents6©2026.Forinformation,contactDeloitteToucheTohmatsuLimited.Deloitte

Global

2026Gen

Z

and

Millennial

SurveyThe‘Maybe

Later’Reality:Financial

Pressureand

Delayed

Decisions17©2026.Forinformation,contactDeloitteToucheTohmatsuLimited.Deloitte

Global

2026Gen

Z

and

Millennial

Survey<ReturntoTableofContentsThe

‘MaybeLater,Reality:FinancialPressureand

DelayedDecisionsAcross

the

data,financial

pressure

emerges

as

the

central

force

shaping

how

these

generations

thinkaboutwork,stability,andthefuture.

It

isthe

constant

backdropagainst

which

career

and

life

decisionsare

made.

Forthefifth

consecutiveyear,

cost

oflivingstands

outas

atop

concern,

cited

by

38%

ofGenZs

and42%

of

millennials,far

exceeding

worries

about

crime,

unemployment,the

environment,

orgeopolitics.This

persistence

reflectsa

new

normal.

Cost

ofliving

concerns

have

becomea

definingfeature

ofeveryday

life,giving

risetoathemethat

has

unfolded

overthe

past

15years

ofthissurvey—thestoryofthe“maybe

later”generations.Thesearegenerationswhoareambitious

and

engaged

but

havehadto

postpone

major

personaland

professional

decisions:

Morethan

halfofGenZs(55%)

andmillennials(52%)saythey

have

delayed

major

life

decisions,suchas

marriage,

starting

a

family

orbusiness,

or

furthering

education,

because

of

their

financial

situation.A

majority(69%

of

Gen

Zs

and64%

ofmillennials)saythattheavailability

or

affordability

ofhousing

has

a

direct

impact

on

their

careerdecisionsandwherethey

canwork,and

51%

ofGenZs

and

40%

of

millennials

say

they

cannot

afford

to

own

a

house.Gen

Zs

38%19%19%18%16%Climatechange/protectingHealthcare/diseaseCostoflivingCrime/personal

safetyPolitical

instabilitytheenvironmentpreventionmillennials42%

19%

18%

18%

17%Q:Ofthefollowing

issues,

please

rankyourtopthreeconcernswithyourfirstselection

beingthe

issuethat

is

MOSTconcerning.Thosewhohavedelayedmajorlifedecisions,suchasmarriage,startingafamilyorbusiness,orfurtheringeducation

because

of

their

financial

situationGen

Zs

millennials55%52%Q:Thinkingaboutyourfinances,towhatextentdoyouagreeor

disagreewiththefollowingstatements?Topconcerns8©2026.Forinformation/contactDeloitteToucheTohmatsuLimited.Mental

health

ofmygenerationPolitical

instabilityCost

oflivingCrime/personal

safetyUnemploymentDeloitte

Global

2026Gen

Z

and

Millennial

Survey

Chapter

1Percentagewhoagreewiththefollowingstatementsaboutfinancialsecuritymillennials40%Istruggletopayall

my

living

expenseseach

monthThe

‘MaybeLater,Reality:FinancialPressureand

DelayedDecisionsFinancialvulnerability

isa

realityfor

many

respondents,

buttherearesigns

of

hope

and

improvement.Fifty-three

percent

of

Gen

Zs

and45%

of

millennials

expect

their

personal

financial

situation

toimprove

overthe

next

12

months,

upfrom49%and41%,

respectively,

in

2025.

Lastyear,

52%

ofbothgroups

reported

living

paycheckto

paycheck:Thisyear,that

has

decreasedto47%for

both

GenZsand

millennials.Andwhile34%

ofGenZsand

millennials

still

say

they

struggle

to

pay

all

oftheir

livingexpenses

each

month,this

is

down

from

the37%

of

Gen

Zs

and

35%

of

millennials

who

said

the

samelastyear.9©2026.Forinformation/contactDeloitteToucheTohmatsuLimited.Q:Thinkingaboutyourfinances,towhatextentdoyouagreeor

disagreewiththefollowing

statements?Deloitte

Global

2026Gen

Z

and

Millennial

Survey

Chapter

1Icannotaffordtoowna

houseIlive

paycheckto

paycheckmillennialsmillennials47%47%34%34%51%Gen

ZsGen

ZsGen

Zs“My

numberoneconcernisthecostofliving.Thecostofhomeshave

goneupsomuch,

especiallyto

getonethatisinanice,safeneighborhood…it’salmostoutofreach.So,

it’sreallydisappointing.Employersarenot

payingevenclosetothecostofliving.

WhenIsee

jobsadvertisedonlineinmycity,thesalariesdon’tmatchwhatitcoststolivehere.Peoplecan’tliveoff

thesesalaries.

AndI’mnottalkingaboutbeingabletoaffordluxuryitems.I’mtalkingabout

simply

roomandboard,

groceries,andothereveryday

items,andifthere’sanythingleftover

for

savings.It’svery

hard

for

peopletosavebecausethey’respendingalltheirmoneyonhousing”–Mel,millennial“My

husbandandIbothmakeover

six

figureseach,butourbuying

powernowversusa

few

yearsago

is

justnotevenclosetothesame.Ourincomehasincreased,butthethoughtofbeingabletobuyahouseis

justnot

feasiblewithinterestratesandthingslikethat.

We’dbespendingway

moreonless

houseright

now”–Rukaya,

GenZ“Thecostof

livingisasignificantconcernbecauseitdirectlyaffectsmyability

tomeetessentialneedslikehousing,

food,andtransportation.Whencostsrise

fasterthanincomeit

strainsourbudgets,reducesour

ability

to

save,and

limits

discretionaryspending”–

Tymon,GenZ“Costoflivingismy

biggestconcern

because

pricesarebeingraisedwhile

salariesarenot,causingeconomicdamage,andalossoftheabilitytobuy

what

we

want”–Khalil,millennialWhenaskedto

reflect

onthe

cost

ofliving

and

financialconcerns,

Gen

Zsand

millennials

said

…Deloitte

Global

2026Gen

Z

and

Millennial

Survey$TakeawaysforbusinessleadersFinancial

pressure

continues

to

shape

how

Gen

Zs

and

millennials

think

about

work,

stability,and

long-term

decisions,

making

cost

oflivingandfinancialsecurityan

enduring

talentconsideration.Whiletherearesigns

ofgradual

improvement,

housingaffordability

andeveryday

expensesstill

influencewhere

people

canworkand

howwillingthey

areto

makelonger-term

commitments.

Organizationsthat

respondwith

competitive

payand

benefitsthat

help

address

financial

constraints,such

as

housing

or

relocation

support,student

debtassistance,

or

greater

choice

in

how

rewards

are

allocated,

may

be

better

positioned

to

attractand

retain

talent.These

pressuresalso

play

out

inwhere,when,and

howwork

is

done.

Housing

costs,commuting

expenses,and

caregiving

responsibilities

directly

shape

career

choices

andmobility,

often

inwaystraditionalwork

modelsfailtoaccommodate.

Clear,

consistentapproachesto

locationflexibility,

hybridwork,andscheduling

can

meaningfully

expandemployees,

optionsand

reduce

unnecessarytradeoffs.

Equally

important

isacknowledgingfinancial

pressure

openly

and

normalizing

these

conversations

rather

than

leaving

employeesto

manage

them

quietly.As

financial

pressures

shape

everyday

decisions,targeted

employersupport

can

help

drive

meaningfulgains

in

engagement,

retention,and

performance.11©2026.Forinformation/contactDeloitteToucheTohmatsuLimited.Deloitte

Global

2026Gen

Z

and

Millennial

Survey

Chapter

1Leadership,

Reconsidered212©2026.Forinformation,contactDeloitteToucheTohmatsuLimited.Deloitte

Global

2026Gen

Z

and

Millennial

Survey<ReturntoTableofContentsHowGenZsandmillennialsthinkabouttheircareerpaths

44%

46%

25%

21%

12%

13%

11%

14%

9%

7%

GenZs

millennialsLeadership,ReconsideredGenZsand

millennialsare

making

career

choicesthat

prioritize

long-termfit

over

short-termadvancement.

Progress

is

no

longer

measuredsolely

by

how

high

or

howfast

one

climbs,

but

bywhether

that

climb

is

sustainable.

Rather

than

pursuing

traditional,

linear

advancement,thesegenerations

are

resequencing

careers—prioritizing

balance,autonomy,and

the

ability

to

adapt

withoutburning

out.When

asked

about

their

ideal

career

path,44%

of

GenZs

and

45%

of

millennials

saythey

prefer

steadyprogress,

comparedwith

just

25%

ofGenZsand

21%

ofmillennialswhofavor

fast-paced

growthmarked

by

rapid

promotions

ortitle

changes.

Roughly

20%

ofbothgenerationswould

bewillingto

movelaterally

oraccepta

more

juniortitletogainthe

experiencethey

believewill

support

long-term

success.For

most,

progress

means

movingforward

inwaysthatfeel

manageableand

realistic:

Maintainingagoodwork/life

balance,achievingfinancial

independence,and

jobstability

arethe

most

commonly

citedprimary

career

goals.“Millennials

and

Gen

Zs

very

much

want

the

opportunity

tohave

a

whole

life

that’s

not

just

about

climbing

a

corporateladder.Theyvaluewell-being.They’veseenthe

peoplewhoareraisingthem,they’veseentheworld,andthey

havealotmoreaccesstoinformation.Theywanttoenjoy

life.That’swhatthey

valuemore”-MeganKornsRussell,integratedmarketingandcommunicationsexecutiveandadjunct

professor

forTexas

ChristianUniversity(TCU)andUniversityofDallasI

seek

steady

progressI

seekfast-pacedgrowth(promotions,

title,

salary)I

amwillingto

move

laterallytofind

theright

roleI

prioritizeflexibility

and

purpose

over

title

or

speed

of