OVER 2 MILLION GEN Z PUT INVESTING AHEAD OF HOME OWNERSHIP AS FINANCIAL PRIORITIES SHIFT

• 2.1 million Gen Z adults (20%) say investing, not buying a home, is their most important financial priority*
• One in three (33%) Gen Z already invest, with one in seven (14%) starting in the past year – the most out of any generation
• Despite growing interest, confidence remains a barrier, with 46% of young adults wanting to invest but unsure how to get started

26 August 2026, London: 2.1 million Gen Z adults say investing is a higher financial priority than buying a home, according to new research from the Invest for the Future campaign, which highlights a significant change in how younger people are thinking about their financial futures.

One in five (20%) Gen Z adults say starting or growing investments is now their biggest financial priority, suggesting investing is becoming a more important part of younger adults' financial plans.

Gen Z isn’t just talking about investing

While one in three (33%) Gen Z adults already invest, they are also the most likely generation to have started investing in the last year.

One in seven (14%) started investing in the past 12 months, compared with 10% of Millennials, 4% of Gen X and just 1% of Baby Boomers.

They're also the generation most likely to see investing as part of their future. Just 14% of Gen Z adults say they do not expect to invest during their lifetime, compared with more than one in four Millennials (26%), four in ten (40%) Gen X, and more than half (53%) of Boomers.

Confidence remains the missing piece

But while many Gen Z adults are already embracing investing, the research suggests there is an even bigger group ready to follow.

Almost half (46%) of Gen Z adults say they want to invest but don't yet feel confident enough to get started.

Rather than lacking interest, many are looking for practical support. More than a quarter (26%) say they want straightforward guidance on how to get started, while the same proportion want investing explained in simpler language.

Karen Northey, Director of Corporate Affairs at The Investment Association said: "For previous generations, building wealth often followed a familiar path; save, buy a home and then think about investing much later. Today's younger adults are taking a different approach, with Gen Z in particular showing that investing can be an important part of their financial plans from an earlier stage. While home ownership remains an important ambition for many, it's also something that feels further out of reach whereas investing is increasingly seen as a practical step people can take today to help build their financial future.

"What's particularly encouraging is that we're seeing genuine enthusiasm from younger adults. Millions see investing as an important part of their future and many have already taken that first step. But we also know confidence remains one of the biggest barriers. Many people simply wish someone had explained investing to them earlier. By encouraging more open conversations and showing that you don't need to be wealthy or an expert to start, we can help more people feel confident about investing for the future."

Notes to Editors

*A survey of 2000 UK adults, 78 are Gen Z who feel starting or growing investments is more important than buying a home. 78 / 2000 * 55022253 (UK adult population) = 2145868 (shorthand 2.1 million)