Gen Z expects to own a pet rather than be parents - why is that?
A global Ipsos report reveals that Generation Z is more likely to prioritize pet ownership over parenthood due to economic barriers. While young people still aspire to traditional milestones like homeownership and marriage, they feel increasingly pessimistic about their ability to achieve them.
Why it matters
This shift reflects broader economic anxiety and declining birth rates, which have significant long-term implications for global demographics and social policy.
Generation Z believe they are more likely to own a pet in their lives than become a parent, a survey of young people in more than 30 countries has found. The 2026 Life Aspirations Report from global market research firm Ipsos explored how people view a successful life today, and found traditional economic security dominates people's definitions of success. The top markers of a successful life were having a stable full-time job (65%), owning a home (58%), moving out of home and into your own place (35%), becoming a parent (31%), getting married (25%) and owning a pet (16%). But the report found that in western countries, Generation Z — those born between 1997 and 2012 — were more likely to expect to own a pet than become a parent.
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