How much debt is Gen Z in? (2024)

How much debt is Gen Z in?

Between April and June 2023, Gen Z, people born between 1997 and 2012, had an average credit card balance of $3,328, a 4.23% increase from January to March 2023, where their average balance was $3,193, according to Credit Karma.

Here's the average debt balances by age group: Gen Z (ages 18 to 23): $9,593. Millennials (ages 24 to 39): $78,396. Gen X (ages 40 to 55): $135,841.

Gen Zers are having a harder time making ends meet, let alone building wealth. Roughly 38% of Generation Z adults and millennials believe they face more difficulty feeling financially secure than their parents did at the same age, largely due to the economy, according to a recent Bankrate report.

Student loan debt for Gen Z

66.7% of older Gen Zers had $20,000 or less in student debt in 2022. The largest percentage (28%) of college students aged 24 and younger have between $5,000 and $9,999 in Federal Direct Loans as of March 31, 2022. 6.8 million of federal student loan borrowers are 24 years old or younger.

While credit card debt increased the most among Gen Z in the second quarter of the year, Gen Z holds the least amount of debt, while Gen X, individuals born between 1965 and 1980, hold the most, according to Credit Karma data.

Members of Generation Z are struggling to keep up their credit scores because of a combination of higher borrowing costs, slowing wage growth, student loans and other debts.

Roughly one quarter (23%) of Gen Z don't expect to ever be able to retire, according to a recent McKinsey & Company study. This belief stems from a variety of factors, but a major reason is the current job market.

It is a known fact that lifespan increases with each generation. For baby boomers, the average life expectancy is 70 years, for Gen X its 85, and newer generations like Gen Z and Alpha will likely exceed the 100-year mark.

A study by McKinsey last year found that Gen-Z faces an unprecedented behavioral health crisis. Zoomers in America reported the least positive outlook and the highest level of mental illness of any generation. This cohort is going through what looks like a decline in economic opportunities.

How many Gen Z have a credit card?

17.3% of Gen Zers are authorized on at least one credit card account. Meanwhile, 3.7% of Gen Zers are authorized on multiple cards. More than 4 in 10 (40.6%) Gen Zers have opened a new credit card in the past six months. 98.3% of Gen Zers pay their credit card bills on time every month.

The Standard Route is what credit companies and lenders recommend. If this is the graduate's choice, he or she will be debt free around the age of 58. It will take a total of 36 years to complete. It's a whole lot of time but it's the standard for a lot of people.

Average consumer household debt in 2023

According to Experian, average total consumer household debt in 2023 is $104,215. That's up 11% from 2020, when average total consumer debt was $92,727.

Gen Z is growing up. Over a third of them either hold jobs (part-time or full-time) or are self-employed, while 51% are still students. As they enter adulthood, Gen Zs are also delaying starting families. Only 11% are married or have children.

72% of Gen Z has a checking account, while 57% has a savings account. Many of these existing accounts could have been created jointly with another adult. 9% of Gen Z is considered underbanked—along with a whopping 52% of millennials.

Yet, more than a third of young Gen Zers have also faced setbacks in the past year, the survey found, which may have led them to stop saving or take on more debt. Gen Z faces unique financial challenges compared to older generations. College graduates earn 10% less compared to their parents, recent research found.

Baby boomers have the highest household net worth of any US generation. Defined by the Federal Reserve as being born between 1946 and 1964 (currently in the ages between 59 and 77), baby boomers are in often in the sunset of their career or early into retirement.

“My studies have shown that being happy and fulfilled, and making enough to live comfortably top the most important features in Gen Z's ideal careers – not being rich and travelling the world.” So, it's not necessarily that Gen Z are greedy or money-grabbing; the majority, say experts, just want to cover their costs.

Gun violence, a major cause of stress for 12- to 26-year-olds, is only getting worse, as is inflation, crushing debt (which impacts major life choices), and a host of other issues that seem pointed straight at Gen Z.

Is Gen Z generous?

Born between 1997 and 2012, the 68 million members of Gen Z who make up 20.6 per cent of the US population are quietly shaping a new paradigm in generational giving. Gen Z is already proving to be one of the most generous generations, when measuring total annual giving as a percentage of disposable income.

In fact, some Gen Z real estate trends are pointing in an optimistic direction. According to a recent study from a major real estate brokerage about 30% of 25-year-olds owned their own homes in 2022, 2-3% ahead of both millennials and Gen X at the same age.

Millennials said in a survey they needed $525,000 a year to be happy. Here's what a Nobel prize winner's research says about money and happiness. On average, respondents to a new survey said they needed $1.2 million in the bank to be happy. Millennial respondents said happiness would come from a $525,000 annual salary.

Like millennials, Gen Z (born between 1997 and 2012), are more likely to prioritize eating healthy and getting regular exercise, however, they also prioritize their mental health and managing stress.