WASHINGTON, D.C. — Most Gen Zers say it is “very true” or “pretty true” that their life has meaning (66%) or that they have a sense of purpose (62%), according to a new survey from the Walton Family Foundation, Making Caring Common and Gallup Voices of Gen Z study. However, that leaves more than one in three who say it is only “a little true” or “not at all true” that their life has meaning or purpose (34% and 39%, respectively). Taken together, 45% of Gen Zers report lacking meaning, purpose or both in their lives.
Gen Z is typically defined as those born between 1997 and 2012, making them roughly 14 to 29 years old in 2026. While the majority of Gen Zers report that they feel their life is meaningful and has a sense of purpose, Gen Z adults are nearly twice as likely as their peers who are still in middle or high school to indicate their life lacks meaning (39% vs. 22%) and are also more likely to say they feel little to no sense of purpose in life (43% vs. 30%).
These results are from a Dec. 15-22, 2025, survey of more than 2,400 Gen Zers conducted by Gallup in partnership with the Walton Family Foundation and the Making Caring Common project at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.
Gen Z Finds Meaning by Making a Difference for Others
One of the strongest predictors of the extent to which Gen Zers feel a sense of meaning or purpose in their lives is whether they feel like they make a positive difference in the lives of others. Among those who strongly agree that they have a positive impact on others, 93% say it is very or pretty true that they feel like their life is meaningful, and 87% report the same about feeling a sense of purpose. Rates are lower but still majorities for those who agree they make a positive difference — 71% say their life feels meaningful, and 67% report having a sense of purpose.
Those who agree at some level that they make a positive impact on others are three to four times more likely than those who disagree to feel a sense of meaning or purpose in their lives. Among those who disagree that they positively impact others, only 22% say their life has been meaningful over the past month, and 18% say they have felt a sense of purpose.
Work Seen as a Means of Making a Difference
Roughly eight in 10 Gen Zers (79%) say they want a job that is mainly focused on helping others or making a positive difference in people’s lives. This desire is similarly high among older and younger Gen Zers, as well as those of different gender, race/ethnicity and financial status groups.
However, just over half of employed adult Gen Zers (56%) who want such a job say they currently work in one, while 27% say they do not and 18% are unsure if they do. Women are more likely than men to say they hold one of these jobs (63% vs. 48%, respectively), while those struggling most financially are less likely to, despite expressing similar levels of interest as their more financially secure peers.
Concerns of Low-Pay, High-Stress Jobs Are Barriers
When asked about potential barriers that could prevent them from pursuing a job that helps others, insufficient pay (49%) and these jobs being hard or emotionally draining (46%) are the most frequently named issues. Both concerns are selected at least twice as frequently as any of the other potential barriers offered in the survey, such as lack of interest or insufficient career advancement.
Bottom Line
At least one in three Gen Zers report struggling to feel a sense of meaning or purpose in life. Other research also focusing on Gen Z mental health and wellbeing has similarly found that Gen Z struggles to feel meaning and purpose. Nearly eight in 10 Gen Zers express that they want a job mainly focused on helping others, though concerns about pay and emotional demands are real barriers for many.
Yet, Gen Zers who believe they make a positive difference in others’ lives are substantially more likely to feel their own lives are meaningful and purposeful. Whether through their job or outside the workplace, Gen Zers who believe they make a positive impact on others' lives may find that it makes a difference in their own.
Stay up to date with the latest insights by following @Gallup on X and on Instagram.
Learn more about how the Voices of Gen Z study works.
