If you think politics today is divided, wait until you see what Generation Z is doing to it. As the 2026 midterms and the 2028 U.S. presidential election approach, a new generation of voters, those born between 1997 and 2012, is stepping into political power.
They are the first fully digital generation, shaped by TikTok trends, global crises, mental health debates, and the aftermath of COVID-19. But within Gen Z lies a sharp and growing gender divide that could redefine democracy itself, not only in America but around the world.
Every generation has its own political identity, but Gen Z is unlike any before it. These young adults grew up with smartphones, online activism, and social media algorithms shaping their worldviews. They’ve seen political protests live-streamed, climate movements go viral, and presidents become memes.
But beneath the memes and hashtags lies a profound shift. Surveys and elections over the past few years show that Gen Z is deeply divided along gender lines more than any generation in recent history.
In the United States, this divide became visible during the 2024 presidential election. According to reports from Reuters (2025), nearly 50% of young men aged 18–29 voted for Donald Trump, while 61% of young women supported Kamala Harris. That’s not a slight difference; it’s a cultural earthquake.
And this isn’t just an American issue. The same pattern is echoing across Europe, Asia, and beyond.
Around the World: One Generation, Two Directions’s
Let’s look at the numbers.
In South Korea, a Gallup Korea poll in June 2025 found that 30% of men aged 18–29 said they planned to vote for the right-wing Reform Party, compared to only 3% of young women. More than half of young Korean men said they were leaning conservative, while most women leaned liberal or left.
In France, during the last legislative elections, EU data showed that more young men aged 18–34 voted for Marine Le Pen’s far-right party than women did. Meanwhile, women tended to support progressive or centrist candidates.
In Germany, elections held in February 2025 revealed a striking divide: the far-right AfD won 27% of the vote among men aged 18–24, while 35% of women the same age supported the far-left Linke party, according to Reuters.
Even in Canada, similar shifts are visible. In 2025, about half of men aged 35–54 supported the opposition conservatives, while female voters largely backed the Liberals.
This global pattern points to a powerful truth: young men are moving right, while young women are moving left.
The United States: A Nation Reflecting the Split
Nowhere is this divide more evident than in the United States.
Support for Democrats among young Black, Asian, and Hispanic men dropped sharply from 76% in 2020 to 57% in 2024, according to Politico (2025). For women in these same groups, Democratic support only dipped slightly, from 85% That’s a nearly 20-point gender gap within minority Gen Z voters alone.
This growing difference isn’t just about party loyalty; it’s about how young people see the world. Men and women in Gen Z are experiencing the same world in entirely different ways.
Two Generations Within One
Researchers often talk about two versions of Gen Z.
The first, known as “Gen Z 1.0”, includes those who finished high school before COVID-19. They grew up during movements like Women’s March, Black Lives Matter, and climate protests. Progressive causes, discussions on gender equality, and anti-gun movements energized them.
There’s Gen Z.0, those who were still in high school or middle school during lockdowns. Their teenage years were spent online, isolated, and uncertain about the future. Many of them faced economic pressure, anxiety, and frustration with institutions. Some of these young people, especially young men, began turning toward right-wing populism and online movements that promised real “free and from.”
A Yale Youth Poll in Spring 2025 found that younger Gen Z voters (ages 18–21) leaned Republican by 11.7 points, while older Gen Z voters (ages 22–29) leaned Democrat by 6.4 points. That’s an 18-point generation gap within the same generation.
If you want to understand why Gen Z is so split, look no further than their phones.
According to Pew Research (2024), the share of Gen Z getting news from TikTok skyrocketed from 9% in 2020 to 39% in 2024. YouTube, Instagram, and Snapchat are not far behind.
But social media doesn’t just inform; it shapes emotions, fears, and beliefs. Algorithms feed people what they already agree with. For young men, that often means influencers who talk about masculinity, free from “anti-feminism”. For young women, the same platforms highlight feminism, empowerment, and body positivity.
In other words, social media has become a mirror that reflects and amplifies gender differences.
Active news consumers, those who read newspapers or seek out journalism, tend to learn more liberal and are politically engaged. They’re the minority. The majority are passive consumers who stumble across political content accidentally, often through viral memes or influencer clips. According to Vox (2025), these passive consumers helped Republicans make unexpected gains in 2024.
Why the Divide Exists
There are several layers to this growing gender gap.
1. Economic Pressures
Many young men, especially those who didn’t go to college, feel left behind in today’s economy. They believe feminism, diversity policies, and immigration have made the job market tougher for them. Some blame political correctness for their struggles.
Meanwhile, young women, especially those in higher education, see progress as a sign of fairness and inclusion. They are entering industries that value equality and social awareness, which makes them more likely to support progressive politics.
2. The Social Media Echo Chamber
Apps like TikTok, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter) often become echo chambers. On TikTok, conservative male influencers talk about “How men are losing their place” or “how modern feminism has gone too far.” These ideas travel fast, often wrapped in humor or motivation.
Experts call this trend the “angry young men phenomenon. “It’s evident in countries where traditional male-dominated jobs like manufacturing or labor are disappearing.
3. Cultural Values
The world Gen Z lives in is far more open about gender, sexuality, and identity. But not everyone reacts to that openness the same way. Many young women embrace it; some young men reject it.
According to the American Survey Center (2025), 46% of white Gen Z women identify as liberal, while only 28% of white Gen Z men do. There’s a growing ideological divide between people of the same age and background.
This divide is not confined to one nation; it’s global. In Australia, where voting is mandatory, experts say the system might slightly reduce the gap because everyone has to participate. But even there, young men are more likely to lean conservative, while young women tend to vote progressive.
In Europe, far-right parties like Germany’s Alternative Rally and France’s Front National have found surprising support among young men who feel ignored by mainstream politics.
In Asia, especially in South Korea and Japan, resentment among young men toward feminist movements has created an entirely new kind of conservative youth politics.
The pattern is clear: across democracies, men are turning right, and women are turning left.
Experts warn that ignoring the reasons behind this divide could be dangerous.
If young men feel excluded from progress, they may become more radicalized or disengaged. High unemployment rates, economic frustration, and mental health struggles are significant factors. In fact, reports show that suicide rates among young men remain alarmingly high in several countries, adding emotional weight to this political alienation.
At the same time, young women who are increasingly well-educated and vocal are pushing for policies on climate change, reproductive rights, and equality. These contrasting priorities are setting the stage for generational conflict within Gen Z itself.
As 2028 approaches, Gen Z will make up an even larger portion of the global electorate. Their turnout could decide not just who wins, but what kind of politics defines the future.
Will young men continue drifting toward conservative populism, influenced by online movements? Will young women maintain their progressive momentum, demanding equality and reform?
One thing is sure: the gender gap is now a political fault line.
Democracies will have to adapt to this new reality. Policies around jobs, education, housing, and mental health must address both sides of this divide. Because if the system keeps favoring one over the other, polarization will only deepen.
Generation Z is not just the future; it’s a mirror of our present. Their split shows how technology, inequality, and identity politics have reshaped how we see each other.
Young men, searching for belonging and stability, are turning to conservative voices that promise strength and clarity. Young women, driven by empowerment and fairness, are fighting for progress and equality. Between them lies the defining political story of our era: a battle not between generations, but within one generation.
And as this divide widens, the question is no longer who Gen Z will vote for but what kind of world they are building together.
