# Gen Z protests: Do Baby Boomers really have it better than young people?

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/gen-z-protests-do-baby-boomers-really-have-it-better-than-young-people/
- Published: 2026-11-14T06:09:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-14T07:22:33+00:00
- Original publisher: DW (publisher lean: Centre)
- Original article: https://www.dw.com/en/gen-z-protests-do-baby-boomers-really-have-it-better-than-young-people/a-79918854?maca=en-rss-en-all-1573-rdf
- Topics: Europe, World

## Key points

- Fewer workers are supporting each retiree in Germany.
- Pension subsidies already take about a quarter of the federal budget.
- Rising rents weigh especially heavily on low-income households.

## Summary

Germany’s younger generation faces growing concerns about whether it can afford housing, fund pensions and build a secure future, prompting protests across Europe. Youth researcher Simon Schnetzer says young people need support now, while data show that Gen Z and Baby Boomers have experienced major social changes in different ways.

The pension burden is shifting as the number of contributors per retiree fell from 3.73 in 1957 to 2.1 in 2025, and is projected to reach 1.73 by 2045. Government pension subsidies already total about €118 billion a year, while retirees receiving basic income support rose from 257,000 in 2003 to 738,000 in 2024. Housing costs have also increased pressure on low-income households: their rent share rose from about 24% of income in 1990 to nearly 36% in 2021; meanwhile, Boomers’ 4.8 million homes could eventually add supply as they change hands.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.