69% of Gen Z are not confident they could handle a $500 purchase today, Rival Technologies’ Emerging Consumer Index finds

Thin financial cushions and a hopeful outlook are shaping how Gen Z spends, and the Emerging Consumer Index tracks the shift with fresh data every two weeks

VANCOUVER, B.C. - 12 November 2026 – Almost 70% of Gen Z consumers say they are “somewhat,” “slightly” or “not at all” confident they could handle a $500 purchase today, yet 48% feel positive or very positive about the next 12 months. The findings come from the first six waves of the Emerging Consumer Index (ECI), Rival Technologies’ syndicated research program tracking consumers ages 18 to 30 across the U.S. and Canada.

For brands focused on a generation expected to have $12 trillion in spending power by 2030, the findings point to an important tension: financial pressure is shaping how Gen Z spends, but it has not erased their optimism.

The financial squeeze has remained steady across the first six waves of ECI. Forty-two percent say they are getting by but it’s tight, or struggling to cover the basics, while only 25% feel comfortable. That split barely moved across the six waves.

Findings from wave six (fielded in September 2026) found the following:

• Hopeful, even when money is tight. Just 15% feel “very” or “somewhat” negative about the next 12 months, while 34% describe their life as “figuring things out.”
• Spending has shifted, not stopped. Some 55% are careful but still spend on what matters, while 31% are cutting back wherever they can and 2% are treating themselves more. Eating out, food delivery or takeout is the first thing to go for 52%, while groceries are where Gen Z consumers are most likely to spend more (38%).
• Housing is the biggest pressure point. Rent or housing ranked as the top financial pressure at 23%, followed by food and groceries (13%), savings and investments (13%), and school and tuition (13%).

“Gen Z’s finances and outlook are moving targets, and a once-a-year survey captures only a single frame of the picture,” said Paula Catoira, Chief Marketing Officer at Rival Group. “The Emerging Consumer Index gives brands fresh data every two weeks, so they can track what is shifting as it happens. Paired with conversational quant, qual and video feedback, it helps teams understand not just what is changing, but why.”

The Emerging Consumer Index gives brands a steady source of ground-truth data on one of their most important growth audiences. Insights come from Rival’s proprietary, video-verified panel, and the conversational research methods behind them have been shown to deliver up to eight times deeper insights. ECI subscribers have access to an interactive report, wiki and AI co-pilot to explore the knowledge base and dig deeper into the data most relevant to their business.

The findings are based on the first six waves of the ECI, conducted from June to September 2026 using AI-accelerated, mobile-first, conversational research. Each wave engaged more than 600 18-to-30 year olds in the U.S. and Canada.

Download the report at rivaltech.com/gen-z-insights-2026.

About Rival Technologies

Rival Technologies is a research technology company redefining how brands understand people. As a pioneer in conversational research, Rival’s AI-accelerated, mobile-first platform transforms traditional surveys into engaging, chat-like experiences that reflect how people communicate today. By blending quant, qual and video in a single conversational flow, Rival helps brands like Warner Bros., ŌURA, Feastables and Carnival Corporation capture richer insights, increase response rates and move from data to confident decisions faster. Part of Rival Group, along with sister companies Reach3 Insights and Angus Reid, Rival Technologies was named to the Top 10 Most Innovative Technology Suppliers in Greenbook’s 2025 GRIT report. rivaltech.com