Half of Gen Z adults spend zero dollars on dating, squeezed by rising living costs and vanishing safety nets. “Over 50% reported spending no money on dating while prioritizing savings and reducing debt.”
https://www.reuters.com/business/finance/some-gen-z-adults-spend-no-money-dating-costs-rise-bofa-survey-shows-2025-07-30/
Average personal debt for Gen Z now tops $94,000, the highest among all generations at comparable ages, outstripping millennials and Gen X. “Gen Z carries the highest average personal debt at $94,101.”
https://www.ritamcgrath.com/sparks/2025/07/the-gen-z-crisis/
Rent pressure has not eased. The national average for a one-bedroom apartment hit $1,860 in mid-2025, climbing 7% year-over-year, far outpacing wage growth which stagnated below 3%. Food inflation remains stubborn, with staples like eggs now roughly $4 per dozen in many metro areas. When basic expenses consume most of a paycheck, discretionary spending evaporates. Dating becomes an unaffordable luxury.
More than half the generation prioritizes savings over social life, a reversal of past norms shaped by economic insecurity and mounting debt burdens. The real crisis is less about drama and more about survival, with long-term implications for consumer markets, relationships, and social cohesion.
The quiet fallout of these pressures is easy to overlook but impossible to ignore once the ripple effects hit housing markets, service industries, and mental health statistics. Gen Z’s economic struggles are shaping the country’s future in subtle but profound ways.
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