Many members of Generation Z feel they are being left behind, pointing to rising living costs, expensive housing and concerns about future pensions. Protests have called for better education and greater fairness between generations. Although Chancellor Friedrich Merz pledged at the start of his term to focus on younger people, the generation says it has yet to see much impact from his efforts.
In a Handelsblatt podcast, political correspondents Martin Greive and Josefine Fokuhl assess whether younger people are actually worse off than those who came before them. The evidence points to a more complicated picture: buying a home and achieving social mobility have become harder for younger generations, while data on incomes and unemployment do not indicate that they are disadvantaged in those areas.
The episode also considers the political response to the protests and whether young people could benefit from a capital-funded pension system. It includes additional audio material from ZDF and Reuters.
Sources: Handelsblatt.