Poll: Gen Z men more likely than women to prioritize having children, marriage

The young men and women of Gen Z have drastically different definitions of personal success depending on their gender and who they voted for in the 2024 presidential election, a new NBC poll found.

The NBC News Decision Desk Poll, conducted among 2,970 adults aged 18-29 from Aug. 13 to Sept. 1, found that young men who voted for President Donald Trump said their top indicator of personal success is having children. According to Geiger Capital on X, 34% of young men said having children is their top priority in achieving personal success.

Young women who voted for Trump ranked children as sixth on a list of 13 definitions of success, opting instead to put “achieving financial independence” as their highest indicator of personal success. Young women who voted for former Vice President Kamala Harris ranked children as 12th most important on the list, while men who voted for Harris placed children in 10th position.

The poll found that marriage also was deeply polarizing. According to Geiger Capital, 29% of young male Trump voters said marriage was important to their personal definitions of success. Marriage was ranked fourth of 13 among men who voted for Trump. Both female Trump voters and male Harris voters ranked marriage as ninth on the list. Female Harris voters ranked it in 11th place, with just 6% saying being married contributes to their views of personal success.

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