Millennials vs Gen Z: who is doing better in Italy in 2026? Open bets
Is there a more serene generation between millennials and Gen Z? The answer is yes: millennials are doing slightly better than Gen Z. This is what emerges from the survey conducted in the first months of 2026 on the social channels of Serenis and the agency Marketing Espresso, which involved 4,853 respondents 1 from all 20 regions of Italy.
Gen Z is more anxious about the future than Millennials
The most significant difference between the two generations is existential concern: nearly 8 out of 10 Gen Z respondents (78%) fear they won’t be able to build a satisfying life, compared to 6 out of 10 millennials (59.2%). These figures reveal a widespread and significant discomfort and align with another key data point: Gen Z is significantly more anxious about the future than millennials (64.4% vs 45%).
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Therapy and self-care: similarities between Millennials and Gen Z
Despite this, the two generations are almost identical when it comes to fundamental aspects such as self-care (with a score of 2.85 out of 5 for Gen Z and 2.88 out of 5 for millennials) and the use of therapy: 68% of millennials and 66.4% of Gen Z have started or are currently undergoing a psychological journey. The two generations are also united by disappointed expectations for a fulfilling life: both report a gap between expectations and reality, with 63.2% of Gen Z and 59.4% of millennials stating they are living a life worse or much worse than they had imagined.
Why does Gen Z feel more behind?
Despite showing a similar rate of openness to therapy, Gen Z is doing worse and feels more “behind” compared to millennials (39.9% vs 30.3%). How can this be explained? The research identified two factors that may contribute to the worse emotional state of 14–30-year-olds and suggest that therapy alone is not enough: what is needed is a deeper cultural, economic, and social shift.
The digital trap and doomscrolling
The first factor is the digital trap: nearly twice as many Gen Z individuals compared to millennials (18.8% vs 10.6%) frequently engage in doomscrolling through negative online news, increasing stress and anxiety. Additionally, this group shows greater difficulty disconnecting from social media: to the statement "I would like to reduce social media but can’t," 45.1% of Gen Z responded yes, compared to 38.2% of millennials, a difference of 6.9%.
Economic insecurity and an uncertain future
The second factor is economic insecurity: 51.4% of Gen Z declare themselves dissatisfied with their current financial situation, compared to 46.6% of millennials. These numbers outline far from optimistic expectations for the future: millennials, although not showing major differences in overall scores, display a slightly better situation, with greater job stability and permanent contracts.
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Regional focus: wellbeing across Northern, Central, and Southern Italy
In terms of overall wellbeing, millennials maintain an advantage over Gen Z consistently across the country. However, the most critical wellbeing data comes from Southern Italy: in the South, 59.9% of Gen Z is dissatisfied with their economic situation, making it the most critical segment with the highest levels of anxiety. Also in the South, 68.6% of Gen Z feel that their life is worse than they had imagined. Lombardy and Veneto rank at the top of the wellbeing index, while Sicily and Campania are at the bottom.
