Stark divide between Millennials, Gen Z and older generations regarding Australia's future

Baby boomers, Gen X have little confidence we're heading in the right direction

SYDNEY, July 15, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- New research from global professional services company GHD reveals a stark contrast between younger and older Australians in levels of optimism about the future, suggesting we need to explore alternate leadership models and better engage today's youth in community-shaping decisions.

GHD's CROSSROADS intergenerational equity research was based on a comprehensive survey conducted across ten countries: Australia, Canada, Chile, New Zealand, the Philippines, Qatar, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States. A total of 13,000 adults, sampled to be representative of age, gender and region in these countries, participated in the survey in mid-May 2024.

Asked to look 30 years into the future and consider "…whether the decisions being made by the current generation of leaders will leave your community in a better or worse state than it is today," Gen Z and Millennials respondents are nearly twice as optimistic as older generations. 42 percent of Gen Z and 36 percent of Millennials agree the state of their community would be much better or a little better, compared to just 19 percent for Gen X and 27 percent for Baby Boomers.

According to GHD Future Communities Leader, Michelle Cramer, the findings highlight the importance of engaging today's youth as much as possible to help shape the world of tomorrow. "Incorporating youth in decision-making processes is essential for creating inclusive, innovative, and forward-looking policies that help shape a sustainable, prosperous future," says Michelle. "This is a key part of responding to the question, 'How can we be good ancestors?' Intergenerational equity is about achieving fairness and justice across all generations, both now and in the future. Clearly, young people are the ones who will live the longest with the consequences of today's decisions, but just as importantly, they bring new ideas, innovative solutions and a different perspective on problems. Their familiarity with technology and contemporary issues can lead to creative approaches that older generations might not consider.

"Another benefit is decision ownership. By involving young people in decision-making, they are much more likely to feel invested in their communities, leading to greater civic participation and responsibility. It also fosters their development as future leaders, equipped with the experience and knowledge to navigate complex future challenges. And given our ageing population, it's even more important that we look for opportunities to engage the younger generation now."

GHD's research also reveals that Australians of all ages perceive affordable housing as the country's number one priority. 63 percent of Australians surveyed agree there is a need for more varied, cheaper housing options, and alarmingly, more than 60 percent of respondents believe we are heading off track in solving the housing affordability crisis.

Other common areas of concern include the cost of living and the accessibility and reliability of transportation, while only 44 percent of Australians believe they have experienced climate change effects, such as extreme weather events, compared to a global average of 64 percent.

"What we're seeing is the extreme impact of rapid inflation and cost of living pressures in the post-pandemic years on people's outlook and priorities," says Michelle. "Despite the prevalence of extreme weather events such as widespread flooding in recent years, financial pressures are now the dominant concern throughout our society across all generations."

CROSSROADS is a thought-provoking exploration of intergenerational equity, through an infrastructure lens. By overlaying community sentiment with GHD's technical insights, the report is intended to spark an informed discussion of what can be done today to support the delivery of fair and fit-for-purpose infrastructure for tomorrow.

About GHD's CROSSROADS research

For its CROSSROADS report, GHD conducted a survey across ten countries: Australia, Canada, Chile, New Zealand, the Philippines, Qatar, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States. A total of 13,000 adults, sampled to be representative of age, gender and region in these countries, participated in the survey in mid-May 2024. The survey explored views on various aspects of infrastructure and intergenerational equity, aiming to uncover shared aspirations and potential future solutions.

Sample size: 1,000 respondents per country for most countries, with a larger sample size of (4,000 respondents) in the US. The data from the US was weighted to represent one-tenth of the total survey, ensuring a balanced and proportional reflection of the overall population.

Demographics: Adults aged 18 and above, encompassing a wide age range, covering Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X and Baby Boomers. The sample also included diverse ethnicities and Indigenous voices to ensure representativeness.

About GHD:

GHD is a leading professional services company operating in the global markets of water, energy and resources, environment, property and buildings, and transportation. Committed to a vision to make water, energy, and communities sustainable for generations to come, GHD delivers advisory, digital, engineering, architecture, environmental and construction solutions to public and private sector clients. Established in 1928 and privately owned by its people, GHD's network of 11,000+ professionals is connected across more than 160 offices located on five continents. www.ghd.com