Ipsos Equalities Index 2024: More than a quarter of Gen Z men think efforts to promote equality have gone too far

Key findings include:

• Inequality is a prominent concern for many countries in the world – particularly in Latin America. Six of the seven countries most concerned about inequality in their country are in this region. 
• Governments bear the burden when it comes to who is expected to take the lead on tackling inequalities; people with physical disabilities are the group most likely to be seen as suffering unfair treatment today. 
• Young people feel less empowered. Across 29 countries, 49% of Baby Boomers believe in their country people’s chances of success depend mostly on their own merit and efforts; for Gen Z this figure stands at 38%. 
• Young people are more sensitive to discrimination. Gen Z and Millennials are more likely than Gen X and Baby Boomers to think inequality is an important issue in their country. Younger people are also more likely to think their own gender is one of the groups facing the most discrimination today. 
• Gen Z men are most likely to think enough has already been done. On average, across 29 countries, 27% of Gen Z men say that efforts to promote equality among all groups of people have gone too far, 6pp higher than Boomer men and 11pp higher than Gen Z women.
• Gen Z women have different perspectives to Gen Z men. They are more likely than older people to say that people from minority ethnic groups, transgender or non-binary people, and immigrants are among the groups of people facing the most unequal treatment in their country today. But Gen Z men are no more concerned than older generations. 

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Meritocracy falling out of fashion?

Across 29 countries, an average of 42% say that in their country, people’s chances of success depend mostly on their own merits and efforts (+1pp vs 2023). Meanwhile, 30% say their chances of success depend more on factors outside their control (-1pp vs 2023). 

On average across 29 countries, Generation Z (adults born between 1996-2012) are 11pp less likely than Baby Boomers (born 1945-1965) to agree that we live in a meritocracy, marking a 3pp increase in the gap compared to 2023.

Argentina stands out as the only country surveyed where the young are much more likely than older people to believe success depends on individuals’ merits and efforts. 

In all 29 countries surveyed, more people see a fair society as being one in which everyone is given the same opportunities (47% agree) than one in which everyone enjoys the same quality of life (19% agree).

This view is particularly prevalent in Mexico (57%), South Korea (56%), Sweden and Poland (both 55%).

People in Türkiye (30%) are most likely to say that a fair society is instead one in which everyone enjoys the same quality of life, following a 7pp increase in this view vs 2023. Belgium (25%) and France (24%) follow.

The urgency of inequality

A majority across 29 countries (52%) agree that inequality is either the single most important or one of the most important problems facing their country, no change vs 2023. This rises to almost eight in ten in Indonesia (79%).

Almost one in four people in Brazil (24%) say inequality is the single most important problem facing their country, vs a 29-country average of 10%. With the exception of India in second place (18%), all of the top seven countries most likely to say that inequality is the single most important problem are located in Latin America. 

Almost one in four people in Brazil(24%) say inequality is the single most important problem facing their country

Have efforts to promote equality gone far enough?

On balance, people think more still needs to be done. Across 29-countries, almost one in two (47%) say efforts to promote equality for all groups of people need to go further vs. one in five (19%) who say things have gone too far.

The view that efforts to promote equality have gone too far is more prevalent in the Anglosphere. Aside from Poland and Sweden, all the countries most likely to agree with this are English-speaking countries. The US (29%), Poland, and Canada (both 27%) take the top three places here. 

Only in Poland do more people say that efforts have gone too far (27%) than need to go further (21%).

Gen Z Men

The study does however reveal a large spike of Gen Z men thinking that efforts in their country have gone too far. On average across 29 countries, 19% of people say efforts to promote equality for all groups of people have gone too far – but this rises to 27% among Gen Z men.

Who faces the most discrimination?

Across 29-countries, people with physical disabilities are seen as the group facing the most unequal or unfair treatment today (33% agree). This is followed by women (26%), senior citizens, and people with mental health conditions (both 24%).

While three in ten women (31%) say that women experience some of the most discrimination today, this falls to two in ten among men (20%). Nevertheless, men are twice as likely to say women receive unfair treatment in their country than to say the same of men (11%).

Young people are generally more likely than older people to highlight the discrimination faced by women (31% among Gen Z vs 23% of Baby Boomers); lesbians, gay men and/or bisexuals (28% vs 20%); people who are neurodivergent (23% vs 17%); and people of specific religions (15% vs 9%). Gen Z are also more likely to think that their respective gender experiences unequal treatment compared with older generations of the same gender.

Within Gen Z, we again see a gender gap. Thirty-five per cent of Gen Z women see women themselves as one of the groups facing most unfair treatment in their country today, vs 25% of Gen Z men, a 10pp gap. 

Similarly, 35% of Gen Z women vs 25% of Gen Z men again say the same of people with physical disabilities, and 31% of Gen Z women vs 21% of Gen Z men say transgender and/or non-binary people face the most unequal treatment. 

Overall, we find Gen Z women having a very different outlook than the 29-country average. Meanwhile, the views of Gen Z men remain closer to older people.

This is part of a growing divergence between Gen Z men and Gen Z women. For more on analysing Generation Z, see the Ipsos Generations Report 2024. 

A call for governments to act

Governments lead the way as the player most seen as having the responsibility to act to reduce inequality. In all 29 countries surveyed, more than 50% say the government in their country should be primarily responsible for taking action. 

This is lowest in the United States (51%), compared with a 29-country average of 67% and highest in Indonesia (82%), Peru and South Korea (both 77%).

Older people are more likely than younger people to think the government in their country should be primarily responsible. Seven in ten Baby Boomers (71%) and Gen X (69%) say their government should be taking action vs 66% of Millennials and 63% of Gen Z.

A quarter of people across 29 countries believe it’s the responsibility of the media (26%) and employers (24%) to address inequalities. 

Meanwhile, the view that individuals themselves should be primarily responsible is notably more widespread in the Anglosphere. 

Approximately three in ten hold this view in the US, Australia (both 31%), Ireland (29%), Great Britain (28%) and Canada (27%) compared with a 29-country average of 21%.

About this study

Ipsos interviewed 21,759 people online in the following countries between February 23 and March 8, 2024. Quotas were set to ensure representativeness and data have been weighted to the known population profile of each country. The sample consists of approximately 1,000 individuals each in Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Spain, and the U.S., and 500 individuals each in Argentina, Belgium, Chile, Colombia, Hungary, Indonesia, Ireland, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Peru, Poland, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Sweden, Thailand, and Türkiye. The sample in India consists of approximately 2,200 individuals, of whom approximately 1,800 were interviewed face-to-face and 400 were interviewed online.