Source page: McKinsey & Company
Commentary
Gen Z ditching ESG?
Consumer | Retail | Gen Z
July 12, 2024 – Consumer interest in environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues is declining across generations. Senior partner Sajal Kohli and coauthors note that Gen Z consumers in five of six surveyed countries have lost interest in ESG, with a decline of five points since 2023. Millennials’ consideration of ESG in purchase decisions has also declined. Only Gen X and baby boomer consumers in the Netherlands and Australia continue to focus on ESG in their purchase decisions.
To read the article, see “State of the Consumer 2024: What’s now and what’s next,” June 10, 2024.
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Visual form
Four-panel grouped bar comparison.
Layout / body structure
The visual is split into four generation panels – Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, and Boomers+ – and within each panel six country bars are read left to right around a zero baseline so gains and declines can be compared immediately.
What is being compared
It compares the percentage-point shift since Q2 2023 in how important ESG factors are in purchase decisions across age generations and six geographies.
Measurement system
The values are percentage-point shifts, so bars below zero show declining importance and bars above zero show increasing importance for ESG in purchasing decisions.
Visible structure inside the graphic
Each generation panel uses the same color key for the six geographies, with the bars crossing a common zero line and short narrative annotations printed inside or below the panels to summarize the pattern for that cohort.
Main takeaway from the visual
The chart shows a broad decline in ESG emphasis among younger consumers, especially Gen Z and Millennials, while older generations in a few countries – particularly Australia and the Netherlands – are the only groups still showing clear gains.
Key standout values or extremes
For Gen Z, Sweden falls by 8 points, the US by 6, the EU-5 by 4, Japan by 3, and Australia by 2, while the Netherlands is the only positive bar at +6; Millennials are negative in all six markets, with Sweden down 12 and the Netherlands down 8; among Boomers+, Australia is +4 and the Netherlands is +6 while several other markets are around -2.
Controls / sequence, when applicable
This is a static chart image with no in-chart controls to operate.
Companion media, when applicable
There is no separate companion audio or video; the chart image is the full visual on this page.