Adulthood is now starting at 27 for Gen Z: The high cost of independence
For decades, the idea of adulthood starting at 18 was the norm. However, Generation Z has changed that perception: now they believe that adulthood begins almost a decade later, around the age of 27. It’s not a lack of desire, but a direct consequence of a context where financial independence, housing, and stability seem increasingly distant.
Being an adult at 27, not 18
For generations, turning 18 was synonymous with being an “adult”: voting, driving, moving out. Today, Generation Z —those born between 1997 and 2012— has pushed that boundary almost a decade later. Young people consider that real adulthood begins at 27, an age where money, decisions, and future become tangible.
A recent study revealed a statistic that summarizes the general feeling: 71% believe that being an adult is harder now than it was 30 years ago. The main reason, indicated by 72% of participants, is the increase in the cost of living.
Independence, the true gateway to adulthood
While 18 grants legal rights, that is not enough. What defines being an adult is financial independence:
- 56% associate it with paying their own bills.
- 45% with being financially self-sufficient.
- 46% with moving out of their parents’ house.
In other words, it’s not about age, but about autonomy. And as that independence has become more challenging,
Delayed maturity, yet foresightful
Paradoxically, Generation Z postpones the start of symbolic adulthood, but adopts certain financial habits earlier than anyone else. According to the report, they open savings accounts and credit cards around the age of 22, compared to the baby boomers’ age of 34.
More than half (53%) consider purchasing life insurance a marker of adulthood. In that sense, they are ahead of other generations: while boomers did it on average at the age of 34, millennials at 28, and generation X at 31.
Obstacles that redefine priorities
Still, the outlook is not encouraging. 47% of respondents believe that buying a home is unattainable, and 39% admit they cannot afford to have children either. Adulthood, for them, becomes more of an aspirational state than an immediate one, defined by financial achievements that seem increasingly out of reach.
This tension explains why Generation Z delays the concept of maturity: it’s not a rejection of growing up, but the consequence of an economic environment that denies them the classic milestones of independence.
An adulthood in transformation
The leap to 27 doesn’t mean less responsibility, but a redefinition of what it means to be an adult. Instead of focusing on traditional symbols —like legal age or marriage—,
What’s interesting is that, even though they perceive this condition as harder to achieve, they show signs of greater foresight and financial realism than previous generations.
