What the Gender Gap Among Young People Is Actually About

It goes deeper than just politics

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One thing that was made clear last year, dubbed a ‘super year’ for elections, is that the ideological gap between women and men, especially among the younger generation, is widening.

In the EU, 21% of Gen Z men (aged 18–29) expressed support for far-right parties, compared to 14% of their female peers — a divide that has increased sharply since 2020, driven largely by young men’s shift to the right. In the US Presidential election, most young women (58%) voted for the Democratic candidate, Kamala Harris, and most young men (56%) backed her Republican opponent, incumbent President Donald Trump.

Similar trends can also be observed in the UK, South Korea, China and Tunisia. While young women overwhelmingly lean liberal or left, making them arguably the most progressive generation in history, young men are increasingly gravitating in the opposite direction.

Considering that young people tend to be both more liberal and more ideologically aligned, this is quite unprecedented. And even more so, since today’s gender divide isn’t just confined to voting booths, either.

As someone born on the cusp of Millennials and Gen Z, I can’t say my personal experience suggests the gender gap is a mere…