Hong Kong’s Gen Z wants to change the world. It also worries deeply about whether it can afford to live in it.
That tension sits at the heart of Gen Z Pulse, a new study conducted with 1,000 GenZ respondents and 35 in-depth interviews conducted by Publicis Groupe Hong Kong in partnership with GWI and The Trade Desk.
The research finds a financially cautious, culturally influential and emotionally stretched generation that turns to music, travel and small indulgences to cope.
Public discourse often portrays Gen Z as a lie flat generation—young people who have taken a step back from ambition. The data tells a different story. 61%of Hong Kong Gen Z say they want to make a positive impact on society, 64% feel inspired when they see others making a difference, and 58% believe their generation can create real change.
Those ideals sit alongside unusually high anxiety.
39% say they are prone to anxiety, far higher compared to the global Gen Z average of 27%. Half are worried about future job prospects, and 40% cite financial pressure as a major source of stress.
Women feel this more sharply than men, with stronger pressure around success, appearance and expectations, while young men are more focused on financial security and social status.
A HK$50 billion generation that saves and splurges on music, travel and snacking
Gen Z makes up just 22% of Hong Kong’s population but already commands around HK$50 billion in annual spending and wields strong influence over family purchases.
They are financially fluent: 57% prioritise saving, and four in 10 are focused on long-term wealth building. But this financial discipline sits alongside a willingness to spend on things that feel emotionally worthwhile.
Nearly three-quarters of Hong Kong’s Gen Z travel at least twice a year, and more than a third do so every two to three months. Travel is not an occasional luxury but part of how they reset and cope. Trips are intentionally slow, cultural and in the thick of nature. Publicis finds a gendered difference in holiday spend. While boys are more likely to spend on luxury upgrades or premium flights, girls put money into experiences, shopping and cultural exploration.
Interestingly, despite the emotional importance of travel, loyalty to travel brands is thin. Discounts and value dominate decision-making, with online travel agencies doing most of the heavy lifting rather than airlines or hotels themselves.
Music is a huge stress buster. 38% find it the easiest way of coping with stress, ahead of travel, solo hobbies, friends and eating.
Unlike older generations, Gen Z prefers to control what it hears. Custom playlists matter more than radio or algorithmic discovery. Young women tend towards mainstream sounds such as K-pop and R&B, while young men lean into indie, retro and heavier music that fits their mood
Live music extends that emotional bond. Almost half say that when a brand sponsors an event they love, it makes that brand feel more relevant and more fun. But this is a generation that is not easily impressed: a quarter say sponsorship only works if it feels genuinely aligned with the event, not bolted on
Snacking, too, is emotional rather than functional. Though one can argue, this is easily a cross-generational thing. For many young women, it is a form of stress relief or a small act of self-care. For boys, the thrill is in novelty and discovering a new snack (40% will try almost any new snack) and showing it socially.
More grounded than many assume
Most are looking for serious relationships rather than casual dating. More than half say their family influences who they date, with boys feeling that pressure more strongly.
And while dating apps exist, Gen Z prefers meeting partners through school, work, friends and social activities. Many say social media feels staged, while real-world connections feel more trustworthy.
The research also challenges the idea that Gen Z lives only inside social media platforms.
Around 70% of their digital time is spent outside walled gardens, including on gaming platforms, streaming audio, apps and the wider web. Music and podcasts account for around 18% of their time, and audio is one of the most intimate and emotionally charged media environments.
For advertisers, that means reaching Gen Z requires a broader, more nuanced media strategy than simply buying social feeds.
