New research commissioned by News Corp reveals that Australia’s Gen Z voters are not the unified generation many assume – and the divide runs sharply along gender lines. Freshwater Strategy’s Mind the Gap report, drawing on 1,530 interviews with eligible voters and four focus groups of young Australians aged 18–29, finds that young women and young men are moving in fundamentally different directions across politics, identity, work, and daily life.

On the big national questions, the gap is stark: Gen Z men are more likely to say Australia is heading in the right direction, while young women skew pessimistic. Their policy priorities diverge just as sharply – young women are more focused on cost of living, climate change, and healthcare, while young men are more likely to prioritise job security and immigration.

The divide extends well beyond politics. Gen Z women report higher rates of stress, loneliness, and digital fatigue – and are more likely to doomscroll and feel the mental health strain of constant connectivity. Gen Z men, meanwhile, show higher trust in online creators over traditional media, stronger engagement with gaming and user-generated content, and greater optimism about their financial futures. On housing, homeownership feels out of reach for most in this cohort, with young women especially pessimistic. And on relationships, dating apps have bred disillusionment on both sides – women report negative experiences and are highly selective, while men struggle to get matches at all.

These aren’t minor differences. They reflect a generation diverging in values, lived experience, and outlook. Anyone seeking to understand or engage Gen Z needs to reckon with this gap.

Download a copy of the report below. If you have any feedback, want to know more, or think Freshwater can help your business, please contact us at insights@freshwaterstrategy.com.