Gen Z Brits have been revealed as the most money-focused generation, according to a new survey about the British public’s competitive habits and behaviours.
The research, commissioned by Paddy Power Games, asked respondents which scenarios would bring out their competitive side with friends, with over half of Gen Z’s (totally 52%) having money-hungry motives.
In addition, a third of Gen Z (27%) want to have more money compared to their peers and a quarter (25%) claim to want to have the biggest salary.
Fitness is also high up on the agenda for that age group when competing amongst friends, with almost a fifth (18%) feeling competitive about going to the gym and working out.
For a generation that is known for being environmentally conscious, shockingly, only 6% rated being environmentally friendly as a competitive cause, failing to reach the top five scenarios Gen Z care about.
Most competitive scenarios against friends for Gen Z:
| Rank | Competitive Scenario | % |
| 1 | Having the most money | 27% |
| 2 | Having the best salary | 25% |
| 3 | The gym | 18% |
| 4 | Being the first to buy a house | 17% |
| 5 | Being the healthiest i.e., diet and fitness | 16% |
The data also delved into where the most competitive region in the UK is, with London, the rat race capital, being home to the most competitive Brits (86%). Northern Ireland is hot on London’s heels (84%), with Wales completing the top three (79%).
Most competitive regions in the UK:
| Rank | Region | Proportion of people who said they are competitive |
| 1 | London | 86% |
| 2 | Northern Ireland | 84% |
| 3 | Wales | 79% |
| 4 | Midlands | 77% |
| 5 | Scotland | 76% |
Elsewhere the research also looked at Brits’ competitive spending habits, with people spending on average, £1,013.35 per year to ensure they own the latest technology, with (surprise surprise) tech savvy Gen-Zers willing to spend an extra £500 on top of this (£1,518.14).
For a generation that have been labelled as ‘Digital Natives’ known for being tech-savvy and social media obsessed, only 12% care about having the latest technology whilst just under a tenth (9%) care about putting out the best social media content.
The study also investigated which generation views themselves the most competitive, with 93% of 18-24-year-olds describing themselves as competitive compared to only 64% of over-55s.
Top five most competitive age groups:
| Rank | Age Group | % of age group describing themselves as competitive |
| 1 | 18–24-year-olds | 93% |
| 2 | 25-34-year-olds | 87% |
| 3 | 35-44-year-olds | 82% |
| 4 | 45-55-year-olds | 68% |
| 5 | 55 years old + | 64% |
A spokesperson for Paddy Power Games said: “Brits are known for their ruthless nature, so we thought it would be a good idea to put this to the test. To the shock of parents and the over fifties, it’s the snowflakes that are in fact, the most competitive generation.”
“With our research unveiling that young people are as competitive in the gym as they are when buying their first house – it turns out that they really are young and naive!”