Baby boomers thrive, while Generation Z struggles mentally

When looking at how happy generations are, baby boomers score best (7.6). Gen Z (7.4) and millennials (7.3) come right after. Generation X scores lowest with a 7.2. Generally, Dutch people are more satisfied with their mental health, than with their physical condition. In contrast, Generation Z is more concerned about their own mental health.

Gen Z is the only generation to give themselves higher marks physically (7.1) than mentally (6.8). In contrast, baby boomers give themselves mentally a high rating of 7.6. Physically, this generation gives itself a 6.9. What stands out is that baby boomers are not only the happiest mentally but are also the most satisfied with their social life and financial situation.

It is also noteworthy that respondents without a job find it more difficult mentally (6.0) and physically (5.3). With this, this group scores lower than the group with a disability (6.7 and 5.4). The group without a job and jobseekers also have the least confidence in the future.

A common denominator between generations is the desire to sleep well. Over a quarter of Dutch people say they often lie awake, with women (33%) reporting this more often than men (22%). Moreover, at the end of the (working) day, a quarter of people appear to have no energy left for other activities. Jobseekers are overrepresented in this respect.

Thomas Oremus, Director of a.s.r. health, says: ‘We also see that two-thirds of respondents say they do not rush to the GP with complaints. And 68% say they are reluctant to call in sick, even with the flu. The above factors, including the wait-and-see behaviour in case of health complaints, affect our well-being. Fortunately, we see that people are increasingly taking control of their own healthy lifestyle, and that half of the Netherlands wants to actively pursue this'.

Sleeping better and more is high on a priority list of baby boomers, while Generation X focuses on exercise. Millennials want to start eating and drinking healthier, and Gen Z excels in its desire to reduce screen time.

More research findings? See here. 

Research justification  
The research was conducted on behalf of a.s.r. by Motivaction among a representative sample of the population in the Netherlands aged 18 to 80. A total of 1,295 people were surveyed, including 213 from Generation Z (1996-2010), 323 Millennials (1981-1995), 320 from Generation X (1966-1980) and 431 (1946-1965) baby boomers. The survey took place during the period 27 August to 13 September 2024.