Gen Z Are the Most Diligent Savers and Investors, Driven by Soaring House Prices and Economic Uncertainty

Jakarta, VIVA – Young people have long been labelled as spendthrift and more concerned with lifestyle than financial planning. Holidays, socialising, and fashion shopping are often assumed to be their top priorities.

However, that perception is increasingly being disproved by data and real-life stories of young people who are in fact aggressive savers and investors.

Surging house prices, stagnant wages, and economic uncertainty have made Generation Z increasingly aware that financial stability cannot be postponed. They are choosing to draw up budgets, build investment portfolios, and prepare retirement funds from a young age.

According to savings provider Scottish Friendly, young people in Britain are twice as likely to increase their savings in 2025 compared with older generations. NatWest research also shows that 69 per cent of Gen Z, born between 1997 and 2012, maintain a personal financial budget, whereas the figure for Baby Boomers stands at just 42 per cent.

“Young investors in particular are not splashing out on luxuries but thinking long-term,” said Carl Hazeley, head of investment platform Finimize, as quoted by The Telegraph on Friday, 20 February 2026.

“This shift may be the result of changed habits during the pandemic, when many of them began investing, or growing awareness of the importance of pension planning,” he said.

The phenomenon of major intergenerational wealth transfers within families, projected to reach £5.5 trillion over the next 30 years — equivalent to approximately Rp124,773 trillion — is also helping to drive saving habits among the younger generation.

“We have seen a growing trend of families encouraging younger generations to save, often through one-off gifts or multiple contributions over time,” said Sean Bannister, head of tax at law firm Edwin Coe.

Savings and investment content on social media is also playing a role. “Although it is natural to question the quality and accuracy of such posts, and indeed the motives of those producing them, they have created a conversation within this age group that previously may have been more focused on careers as their primary source of financial security,” Bannister added.

Adam Mlamali, 24, is a real-life example of early financial discipline. In 2024, he purchased a three-bedroom house for £200,000 (equivalent to Rp4.54 billion) and spent £50,000 (approximately Rp1.13 billion) on renovations.