Which generation has the least debt?
Comparatively, the generation with the least debt — Gen Zers (ages 18 to 26) — owes less than half as much, with an average balance of $21,665.
- People aged 40-49 hold the highest amount of debt with $4.21 trillion in total.
- By 2030, Millennials (born between 1981 to 1996) are expected to have the most total debt at an average of $228,891 per person.
Gen X (ages 43 to 58) not only carries the most debt on average of all the generations, but is also the debt leader in credit card and total non-mortgage debt.
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.
While Americans of all ages are grappling with higher balances, Gen Z and millennials are seeing the largest average increases in total debt and the steepest decline in credit scores, according to data provided to Fortune by personal finance company Credit Karma on tens of millions of member accounts.
Younger Americans (millennials and Gen Zers, or those born in 1981 or later) had greater family wealth, on average, than Gen Xers (born between 1965 and 1980) and baby boomers (born between 1946 and 1964) did when both generations were close to the same average age (33-34).
Unsurprisingly, Gen Z has the lowest average net worth of any generation. As they are just getting started on their careers and haven't had much time to accumulate wealth, this makes perfect sense. According to the Federal Reserve, individuals under the age of 35 have a median net worth of around $39,000.
According to a 2019 Experian study, men carry more debt than women across nearly all categories, including credit card debt — the study found that men have $125 more in credit card debt than women on average.
“Shark Tank” investor Kevin O'Leary has said the ideal age to be debt-free is 45, especially if you want to retire by age 60. Being debt-free — including paying off your mortgage — by your mid-40s puts you on the early path toward success, O'Leary argued.
Generation | Average total debt (2023) | Average total debt (2022) |
---|---|---|
Gen Z (18-26) | $29,820 | $25,851 |
Millenial (27-42) | $125,047 | $115,784 |
Gen X (43-57) | $157,556 | $154,658 |
Baby Boomer (58-77) | $94,880 | $96,087 |
Which generation is the wealthiest?
Millennials stand to become the richest generation in history, after $90 trillion wealth transfer | CNN Business.
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.
Statistically broken down into generations, Gen Z (ages 18-25) saves an average of 14% while millennials (26-42), Gen Xers (43-55) and baby boomers (56-75) save an average of 12%, per CNBC.
That means they're much less likely to overspend and risk going into debt, but also less likely to make the occasional stretch purchase. With that said, Gen Z is a credit-friendly generation--they're just careful about falling into debt traps.
Gen Z faces unique financial challenges compared to older generations. College graduates earn 10% less compared to their parents, recent research found. High inflation — and affordability concerns among Gen Zers — extend beyond U.S. borders.
Today, many Generation Z members — generally classified as those born between 1997 and 2012 — are struggling to keep their credit scores high. Factors like high inflation, student loans, higher interest rates, and slower wage growth are impacting Gen Zers' ability to make ends meet.
One of the more downbeat economic themes in recent years has been the calculation that millennials would be the first generation to be worse off than their parents. But recent research casts some doubt on that theory.
Gen Z is the most materialistic generation today, according to a report by Bank of America. Gen Z, ages 10 to 25 per Beresford Research, are much more driven by financial success than millennials and Gen X.
Young people aged 16 to 24 feel more lonely than any other age group, including people aged 65 and over. Indeed, 73% of Gen-Z report feeling alone sometimes or always.
Gen Z is more stressed than any other generation about their savings accounts, a BI survey shows. Nearly half of Gen Z adults worry about their daily spending. One Gen Z grad student says she loses sleep over her financial responsibilities.
Which gender has less saved?
By the time women retire, we have 44% less saved than men, according to a Vanguard study. Men's larger account balances are primarily based on higher wages, not due to greater participation levels in their retirement plans. One of the biggest reasons women save less is the gender pay gap, but it's not the only reason.
70% of the Nation's Poor are Women & Children
Women in America are still 35 percent more likely than men to be poor in America, with single mothers facing the highest risk. Currently, 35 percent of single women with children live and raise their families in poverty.
United States. The United States boasts both the world's biggest national debt in terms of dollar amount and its largest economy, which resolves to a debt-to GDP ratio of approximately 128.13%. The United States' government's spending exceeds its income most years, and the US has not had a budget surplus since 2001.
Between mortgage loans, credit cards, student loans, and car loans, it's not uncommon for the typical American to have one or more types of debt. The ones who are living debt-free may seem like a rarity, but they aren't special or superhuman, nor are they necessarily wealthy.
Being debt-free is a financial milestone we often hear about people striving for. Without debt, you can focus on building more savings, investing those extra funds and just simply having more peace of mind about your finances.
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