Opinion: A message from Gen Z to British Columbians heading to the polls

As B.C. heads into an election, I hope you will consider a generation that is in dire need of support: Generation Z. If you are part of this generation — or if someone you love is — you may understand why I believe we need to stand in solidarity with young people rather than dismiss us as entitled, lazy, or irresponsible.

Rising costs disproportionately affect Gen Z. For those trying to establish themselves, financial pressures often begin long before entering the workforce. The average Canadian graduate leaves school with roughly $29,000 in debt, often after five or six years of higher education. Even after making that investment, stable, high-quality employment is far from guaranteed. These pressures contribute to delays or uncertainty around starting a family. For those who do choose to have children, 42 per cent of parents report difficulty finding affordable child care.

Growing unaffordability is perhaps most visible in housing. In 2000, an entry-level home in most Canadian cities cost roughly three times what a young couple earned. That ratio now exceeds 17 times what a couple earns in Vancouver. It is no wonder that more young people are delaying milestones like homeownership and starting a family.

When governments fail to prioritize the issues making homeownership, financial security, and other milestones feel out of reach for young people, our well-being becomes collateral damage. The data reflects this broader impact: Among people under 25, Canada ranks 71st globally in life satisfaction, with the World Happiness Report documenting a substantial decline driven by unaffordability among young Canadians over the past decade.

If you are on the fence about considering Gen Z when you cast your ballot because you have heard that we are entitled, lazy and irresponsible with money, then let’s set the record straight.

Let’s start with entitlement. Being entitled implies expecting more without being willing to put in the effort needed to earn it. The reality is that this generation is not expecting more. They are losing hope. They are often working harder to achieve things that were more attainable for previous generations — for example, it now takes approximately 23 years to save for a 20 per cent downpayment on an average home in Vancouver, compared with 11 years in 2000 — while facing record levels of post-secondary debt, high housing costs, lower earnings, and rising child-care costs. At the same time, young Canadians pay 20 to 40 per cent more of their taxes towards seniors’ healthy retirements than previous generations paid during their own working years.

Let’s also not mistake a generation losing hope for laziness or irresponsibility with money. When a secure future feels out of reach, investing in that future can feel less worthwhile. Young people may change how they spend and plan not because they are incapable of budgeting, but because they no longer believe that saving and hard work alone will allow them to achieve the life milestones that many who came before them could take for granted.

The classic “just stop buying your daily matcha latte” argument misses this bigger picture. To cover a 20 per cent downpayment on an average Metro Vancouver home within five years, someone would need to save the equivalent of 26 $7 matcha lattes every day. In that context, spending that $7 on something that provides enjoyment today may feel more worthwhile than saving for a future that seems unattainable. This does not mean financial responsibility is unimportant; it means spending habits can reflect the economic conditions shaping how young people view their futures.

The next B.C. government needs to address the economic conditions disproportionately affecting Gen Z. For voters, this is an opportunity to consider which parties are prepared to make these issues a priority. Without deeply considering young people this election cycle, we risk normalizing financial insecurity as an accepted norm rather than a problem we choose to fix.

So, when you cast your ballot, please think of us. Think of the young people trying to build a life in the province we call home. We are counting on you to help restore our hope that hard work can still lead to a future worth working toward.

Michelle Wojciechowski is a Gen Z resident of B.C. pursuing a master’s degree in public health at the University of B.C.