A New Puzzle of Equality? Gender Gaps in Gen Z’s Gender Equality Attitudes in Europe

Modernization theories predict increasing gender-egalitarian attitudes among younger cohorts. Yet, recent evidence points to substantial gender polarization within Generation Z. This short paper provides a systematic, cross-national and multidimensional analysis of gender differences in gender equality attitudes among Generation Z in Europe. Using microdata from six large-scale surveys, covering 82,187 individuals (born 1995–2009) across 24 European countries, we assess gender gaps across eight attitudinal dimensions of gender equality. We ask how attitudes differ by gender, how these gaps vary across countries, and how they relate to country-level gender equality. Our findings reveal widespread gender gaps, with young women consistently expressing more egalitarian views than young men. However, the magnitude of these gaps vary across countries and dimensions. Gender gaps are comparatively smaller for gender role norms, such as shared parenting, but larger for attitudes toward labor market fairness, perceptions of discrimination, and the salience of gender equality. Relating these patterns to the 2024 Gender Equality Index reveals that the relationship is not strictly linear across outcomes. Together, these findings challenge linear modernization narratives and underscore the importance of contextualized and multidimensional perspectives on gender equality attitudes among Generation Z.