WASHINGTON, D.C. -- New research from the Walton Family Foundation and Gallup’s report, “Climate Spotlight: Gen Z on Water Issues,” shows that water issues are often a unifying concern for Generation Z -- and impact young people’s vision of their future. Across both political parties, a majority of voting-age Gen Zers worry about water pollution and the health of fish and oceans, and nine in 10 say protecting water is important.
Across Gen Z overall, 72% worry a great deal or some about water pollution, 66% worry about the health of fish and oceans, and 57% worry about availability of clean drinking water.
Their concern for water quality puts Gen Z in line with Americans overall, who consistently rank water issues among their top environmental priorities.
Among voting-age Gen Zers, majorities of both Republicans and Democrats express worry about water pollution and the health of fish and oceans, though their intensity varies. The highest alignment of the three topics is in Gen Zers’ concern about the health of fish and oceans, with 59% of Republicans saying they worry a great deal or some, compared with 70% of independents and 80% of Democrats.
The health of fish and oceans is generally a greater concern to Gen Z than the availability of clean drinking water (66% vs. 57%, respectively, worry at least “some”). This is especially true among Republicans, who worry about the health of fish and oceans at a rate 20 percentage points higher than the availability of clean drinking water (59% vs. 39%).
Support for Protecting Water Resources Is Largely Bipartisan
Separately, at least nine in 10 Gen Zers, regardless of political affiliation, say it is very or somewhat important to protect oceans, lakes and rivers from pollution. Fewer Republican than Democratic Gen Zers rate protection of waterways as “very important” (65% vs. 88%).
Gen Z’s View of the Future: Roughly One-Third Worry About Having Enough Clean Water or Needing to Relocate
Nearly one-third of Generation Z believes their generation will “definitely not” (3%) or “probably not” (28%) have enough clean water in the future to live, underscoring the heavy consequences that a portion of Gen Z envisions for their future. Still, the majority of the generation say they will “probably” (54%) or “definitely” (16%) have enough water to live.
Democrats in Gen Z are twice as likely as Republicans to say their generation will probably or definitely not have enough water (43% vs. 21%). The partisan differences reflect a gap also seen in other climate-related studies with Americans of all generations.
Adult members of Gen Z tend to have a more negative outlook compared with their counterparts who are still children. Thirty-five percent of 18- to 27-year-old Gen Zers believe their generation will definitely not or probably not have enough clean water in the future to live, compared with 23% of 12- to 17-year-olds. It is unclear whether the 12-point gap is related to differing perspectives on climate change or perhaps a lower level of knowledge among the youngest members of Gen Z overall. Ten percent of 12- to 17-year-olds report they know “a great deal” about climate change, compared with 23% of 18- to 27-year-olds.
Over One-Third of Gen Zers (36%) Worry at Least Somewhat About Needing to Move Due to Climate Change
Concerns about water and other climate-related issues impact Gen Z’s vision of their future. Twelve percent of Gen Zers worry “a great deal” that they may have to relocate due to climate change, and an additional 24% say they worry “somewhat.” Their fears include problems with water, as 73% say they are worried about pollution, flooding or drought when thinking about the future of their community.
While Republican members of Gen Z are less likely than Democrats to be worried about needing to move, about one-quarter still say they worry either a great deal (7%) or somewhat (16%). Comparatively, about half of Democrats say they worry a great deal (20%) or somewhat (31%).
Bottom Line
The Walton Family Foundation and Gallup find that climate-related water problems like water pollution and the health of fish and oceans are troubling to a majority of Gen Zers across political parties. Among voting-age Gen Zers, at least nine in 10 -- including both Republicans and Democrats -- say protecting water is very or somewhat important.
For many Gen Zers, climate change has a sobering impact on their vision of the future: About one in three believe their generation will definitely or probably not have enough clean water to live, and over one in three are worried a great deal or somewhat about having to relocate due to climate change. To learn more about Gen Z’s perspective on a range of climate-related issues, see the Walton Family Foundation-Gallup report “Climate Spotlight: Gen Z on Water Issues” and additional forthcoming research.
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Learn more about the Walton Family Foundation’s research with Gen Z and the environment.
Learn more about how the Gallup Panel works.
