22+ Gen Z Shopping Statistics & Trends for 2026

Generation Z, the cohort the US Census Bureau defines as people born between 1997 and 2012, has finished moving from emerging consumer to economic gravity well. They earn more at 25 than any prior generation did at the same age, their spending is growing roughly twice as fast as previous cohorts at comparable ages, and they treat a checkout page without a discount field as a personal insult.

What follows is a tightly-sourced 2026 snapshot of who Gen Z is, what they buy, where they shop, and how they hunt for value. Every figure has been verified against its original source — McKinsey's State of the Consumer, Pew Research, the US Census Bureau, Bank of America's Better Money Habits, Capital One Shopping, EMARKETER, ThredUp's 14th Annual Resale Report, Empower, Bazaarvoice, Snipp Interactive, and Edelman's Trust Barometer. Numbers cited as Gen Z-specific really are Gen Z-specific.

Gen Z by the Numbers

1. There are roughly 70 million Gen Zers in the United States.

Using the US Census Bureau's definition of Gen Z (born 1997 to 2012), the cohort totals about 70.8 million people in 2025 — roughly 20-21% of the US population, or about one in five Americans. That makes them numerically comparable to Millennials and noticeably larger than Gen X. (Statista / US Census)

2. Gen Z is the most ethnically diverse generation in US history.

Pew Research's demographic work on Gen Z puts the cohort at roughly 52% non-Hispanic white, 25% Hispanic, 14% Black, 6% Asian, and 5% other or multiracial, with Gen Z projected to become majority non-white during this decade. About 29% of Gen Z are immigrants or children of immigrants — versus 23% of Millennials at the same age. (Pew Research)

3. About 95% of Gen Z in the United States owns a smartphone.

Pew Research finds that 95% of US teens 13-17 report having access to a smartphone, and Statista pegs Gen Z consumer smartphone ownership at the same 95% level. Gen Z is the first generation where mobile is the default, not the alternative. (Pew Research / Statista)

Gen Z Spending and Income

4. The average 25-year-old Gen Zer earns about $40,000 in household income.

McKinsey's State of the Consumer 2025 reports that the average 25-year-old Gen Z American household pulls in roughly $40,000 a year — about 50% more than the average Baby Boomer earned at the same age, after accounting for government transfers, inflation, and taxes. (McKinsey)

5. Gen Z spending is growing about twice as fast as previous generations'.

McKinsey finds Gen Z's spending is expanding at roughly 2x the pace of previous generations at comparable ages, and is on pace to eclipse Baby Boomers' total spending globally by 2029. By 2035, Gen Z is expected to add an additional $8.9 trillion to the global economy. (McKinsey)

6. 53% of Gen Z don't feel they make enough to live the life they want.

Bank of America's Better Money Habits research surveyed 915 Gen Z adults aged 18-28 and found 53% feel they aren't earning enough, and 55% don't have enough emergency savings to cover three months of expenses. (Bank of America Better Money Habits)

7. 72% of young adults took action to improve their financial health in the past year.

Despite the income squeeze, 72% of young adults in the Better Money Habits study took concrete steps to improve their finances — 51% added to savings, 24% paid down debt, 41% cut back on dining out, and 23% switched to more affordable grocery stores. (Bank of America Better Money Habits)

8. Gen Z cut overall spending about 13% in early 2025.

PwC's analysis of nearly a million consumer transactions found that Gen Z reduced overall spend by roughly 13% between January and April 2025, especially in apparel, accessories, and electronics. They didn't stop shopping — they got pickier and more discount-led. (PwC Gen Z Consumer Trends)

9. 39% of Gen Z still receive financial support from family.

According to Bank of America, 39% of Gen Z receive money from parents or other family members — down from 46% a year earlier. (Bank of America Better Money Habits)

Gen Z and Discount Codes

10. 78% of Gen Z redeemed a digital coupon in the past year.

Capital One Shopping's coupon research found that 78% of consumers born after 1996 redeemed a digital coupon in the prior year, while 65% used paper coupons. Digital is the default for this cohort, but Gen Z hasn't fully abandoned paper either. (Capital One Shopping)

11. 19% of Gen Z say a digital coupon has pushed them into an impulse purchase.

Capital One Shopping reports that 19% of Gen Z and 12% of Boomer consumers admit a digital coupon has driven them to buy impulsively. Coupons aren't just closing planned purchases for Gen Z — they're opening new ones. (Capital One Shopping)

12. BOGO is Gen Z's #1 savings motivator at 58.2%.

Snipp Interactive's Inside the Gen Z Mind survey found the top savings motivators among Gen Z are Buy-One-Get-One offers (58.2%), coupons (37.6%), and loyalty points (28.4%). Roughly half — 49.8% — say a good deal will tip them toward a favorite retailer over a competitor. (Snipp Interactive)

13. 31% of young people will stay loyal to a brand that simply gives them free things.

The same Snipp report — citing YPulse research — found that 31% of young people will remain loyal to a brand that gives them free things. Loyalty for Gen Z is transactional in a way previous generations would have called crass. (Snipp Interactive)

Social Commerce, TikTok Shop, and Mobile

14. About 70% of US Gen Zers discover products on TikTok.

EMARKETER's Path to Purchase survey found that roughly 70% of US Gen Zers discover products on TikTok, and 42.5% say TikTok is the most useful platform for product research. For brands and coupon affiliates, TikTok has effectively become the new Google for this audience. (EMARKETER)

15. Over half of Gen Z find products on Instagram or TikTok first.

EMARKETER reporting on Grin's data shows 30.4% of Gen Zers most often find products on Instagram and 23.2% on TikTok — combining to more than half of the cohort. Google trails at 18.8% as the top source for product discovery. (EMARKETER / Grin)

16. TikTok Shop is projected to hit $23.4 billion in US ecommerce sales in 2026.

EMARKETER projects TikTok Shop will generate $23.41 billion in US ecommerce sales in 2026 — a 48% increase year-on-year — putting it ahead of Target, Costco, Best Buy, and Kroger in pure ecommerce volume. (EMARKETER)

17. The average TikTok Shop customer spends about $118 a year across 3-4 purchases.

EMARKETER reports the average TikTok Shop customer spends roughly $118 a year on the platform across three to four purchases. Average order values are still small, but frequency and reach are climbing fast. (EMARKETER)

18. Mobile commerce will drive over 90% of the net growth in 2026 holiday ecommerce.

EMARKETER projects that mobile will account for more than 90% of the net increase in US holiday ecommerce sales, with mobile reaching roughly 56.5% of total ecommerce penetration. Gen Z is the cohort most responsible for that mobile-first shift. (EMARKETER)

Resale, BNPL, and the Values Economy

19. 58% of Gen Z browse resale before buying new.

ThredUp's 14th Annual Resale Report found that 58% of Gen Z consumers browse resale before buying new, compared to 46% of consumers overall. The global secondhand apparel market is projected to reach $393 billion by 2030, roughly 10% of total apparel spend. (ThredUp 14th Annual Resale Report)

20. Gen Z and Millennials will drive 71% of resale market growth through 2030.

ThredUp's report projects that Gen Z and Millennials together will account for 71% of all resale market growth between now and 2030. The US resale market alone is projected to reach $78.8 billion by then. (ThredUp 14th Annual Resale Report)

21. 44% of Gen Z have used a buy-now-pay-later service.

Empower's BNPL research found that 44% of Gen Z — roughly 30 million young Americans — have used a BNPL service, and nearly 40% of Gen Z use BNPL weekly or more frequently. Over half (55%) say BNPL actively helps them manage their finances better. (Empower)

22. 92% of Gen Z say they need to share values with a brand to buy from it.

Edelman's Trust Barometer special report on Gen Z found that 92% of Gen Z say they need to share values with a brand before they buy from it — compared with 84% globally across all consumers. Gen Z is treating purchase decisions as identity statements, not just transactions. (Edelman Trust Barometer)

Frequently Asked Questions

Gen Z is value-driven without being cheap, mobile-first without being app-loyal, and value-aligned without being unwilling to splurge. They will pay full price for a brand that mirrors their politics, then wait three days for a code from a brand that doesn't. For coupon platforms, the playbook is unambiguous — meet them on mobile, surface deals through the social feeds where they actually spend time, and make every code verifiable. That is exactly what 99coupons.ai is built to do.