Why do Gen Z believe in astrology more than democracy?
Have our values system been upended, or is it more hyperbole about Gen Z?
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Why do Gen Z believe in astrology more than democracy?
One recent study revealed that only 27% of Gen Z strongly view democracy as the best form of government while another poll found that 80% of Gen Z are committed believers in astrology Whether you find this comparison alarming or insightful, it represents a profound shift. A recent Craft/Channel 4 survey found that over half of young Britons (52%) would prefer an autocratic leader, while a third (33%) even endorsed military rule. Meanwhile, the University of Cambridge has confirmed that this disillusionment with democracy is not confined to the UK—it is a global trend.
Before we dismiss an entire generation as dangerously naïve, or worse, gullible suckers of the manosphere, and before we seek to fix them by lobbing a copy of 1984 at them and telling them to watch Chaplin’s Great Dictator, it’s worth pausing to ask: what lies behind this shift? What forces are eroding trust in institutions while simultaneously elevating belief in the mystical? For that, we must examine not only the ideas Gen Z are rejecting, but also the ones they're embracing.
There’s a clue, I suspect, in astrology.
While trust in institutions has declined, belief in personalised destiny—astrology included—has risen. Far from a quaint pastime, astrology today is a booming consumer sector, valued at $12.8 billion globally. Platforms like the AI-powered astrology app Co-Star boast 30 million users worldwide, while Astrotalk connects 40,000 astrologers to a staggering 80 million customers—60% of whom are under 25.
But more revealing than astrology’s global growth is how it shapes decisions. Seventy-two percent of Gen Z admit to consulting their star charts for major life choices, while nearly a third (31%) wouldn’t date someone with an incompatible zodiac sign. Maybe both are understandable in the age of economic uncertainty and algorithmic dating?
Workplaces aren’t immune either. A recent U.S. survey found that 41% of Gen Z and millennials research the zodiac signs of prospective bosses and colleagues before accepting jobs. Nearly two-thirds credit astrology with career success, and 12% even schedule time off when Mercury retrograde looms.
While such behaviours may provoke bemusement, they align with broader patterns of generational change. Gen Z are less likely to identify as atheists than their middle-aged parents but also less inclined to traditional religion. Whether this signals a new age of spirituality or superstition, one thing is clear: institutionalised religion is not making a comeback. Even in traditionally devout regions like the Middle East, surveys indicate growing secularisation among younger Muslims.
To the veterans of the Cold War (that means anyone over 40), we grew up in an ideological dogfight where individual freedom, Christianity, capitalism and democracy were neatly packaged as the mutually reinforcing pillars of Western freedom. They were also eventually triumphant against communist totalitarianism. Many have long questioned these assumptions, but they’ve been remarkably hard to dislodge even in the context of an emerging capitalist-communist mash-up that is modern China. To those who still cling to the belief that the free market is still free, it must come as a shock that the work of Mystic Meg holds more allure and admiration for Gen Z than that of Margaret Thatcher.
Yet Gen Z have inherited a different reality: a hyper-individualised culture marked by declining religiosity, algorithmic influence, and economic precarity. Astrology, in this context, serves a purpose. For many, it offers agency and structure in a world that many, even Baby Boomers, think is fracturing. It speaks to a generation raised as individualists but often left feeling powerless—whether by soaring rents, climate breakdown, or the shifting sands of geopolitics. Consulting the zodiac may be less about mysticism and more about taking back control, however symbolic.
The declining faith in democracy mirrors broader trends of institutional distrust. Gen Z are coming of age in a world where governments seem incapable of solving crises—from housing shortages to climate change—while appearing unaccountable, opaque or shrouded behind an untrustworthy media machine. To a hyper-connected generation accustomed to instant feedback, democracy’s slow, deliberative processes feel woefully out of step.
And yet, the issue runs deeper than trust. Mass democracy was founded on a communal ethos – a belief in collective purpose - rooted in shared experiences and identity and sustained through local community – be it the church, club or work. The associational culture that underscored 20th century democracy in the UK at least has not only declined but feels positively alien to a generation bred on social media. They are the first generation to grow up untethered from geography, socialisation, or traditional workplaces.
Efforts to "engage" young voters—whether by lowering the voting age or posting TikToks from Parliament—miss the mark. The rise of astrology and the decline of faith in democracy are not random; they reflect a broader search for meaning, identity, and agency in a fragmented, individualistic world. Far from being delusional, Gen Z are simply aligning with frameworks that better resonate with their lived realities.
The Reading Room
New data from the ONS in the UK found that Baby Boomers are accumulating wealth at the fastest rate of any generation and are now 33 times wealthier than Gen Z. Households headed by Britons aged 65 to 74 are sitting on an average nest egg of £502,500—over 30 times the typical wealth of Gen Z individuals aged 16 to 24, who hold just £15,200. The problem with this data as my book attests is that there is a danger of thinking in terms of generational cohorts rather than as most people live as intergenerational families. There are a lot of generous grandparents in that cohort.
Eir Nolsoe, Boomers are 33 times as wealthy as Gen Z and they’re getting richer, The Telegraph, 25 January 2025
Meanwhile in America…. Gen Z are supercharging ahead. US living standards and wages have grown for Gen Z while they have declined in the UK and Europe. John Burn-Murdoch unpicks the data to find that it is not just incomes but also homeownership where Gen Z are outpacing Millennials and Boomers at their age.
John Burn-Murdoch, Gen Z Americans are leaving their European cousins in the dust, Financial Times, 23 January 2025
More bad news for Gen Z in the UK. New data from graduate career platform Prospects reveals that only 59% of graduates secured full-time employment within 15 months of finishing university last year—a dramatic decline from 94% just a decade ago. This is not only bad for the economy, but arguably for universities.
Signing your book never gets old…..
Last week I was back at Schroders talking to financial advisors about the dynamics of living in an Inheritocracy and what it means for the future of their business. I usually spend January writing and researching but this month has been exceptionally busy with four events and a filming project.
Podcasts needed!
In the spirit of the times, I want to spend the next couple of months appearing on more video podcasts so if you happen to know of any you think I should be a guest on or have a podcast that is looking for interviewees do get in contact with christina@elizafilby.com.
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Thanks for reading,
Eliza
“When men choose not to believe in God, they do not thereafter believe in nothing. They then become capable of believing in anything.“ - Émile Cammaerts