Why Gen Z is struggling with credit card debt (2024)

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Why Gen Z is struggling with credit card debt? ›

About 8.9% of credit card balances fell into delinquency over the last year, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York — a sign that a growing number of borrowers are feeling the strain of rising prices and high interest rates. "Everything is more expensive. Debt is more expensive. Rent is more expensive.

About 8.9% of credit card balances fell into delinquency over the last year, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York — a sign that a growing number of borrowers are feeling the strain of rising prices and high interest rates. "Everything is more expensive. Debt is more expensive. Rent is more expensive.

Baby boomers and Generation X had the highest credit card balances of over $7,500 in 2022. Millennials take second place with around $6,500 in credit card debt. Cardholders 75 and over had the lowest debt, at just under $4,000. Among ethnicities, White, non-Hispanic populations had the highest credit card debt.

Analysis of the debt share in the U.S. shows that people aged 40-49 hold the largest amount of debt at $4.21 trillion in total. People aged 50-59 have the most credit card debt in total at $0.21 trillion, and people aged 30-39 have the most student loan debt at $0.5 trillion.

Debt stress syndrome is the name that doctors have given to a condition where concerns over debt lead to mental, emotional and even physical health problems.

The minimum payment mindset

Here's how most people get trapped in credit card debt: You use your card for a purchase you can't afford or want to defer payment, and then you make only the minimum payment that month. Soon, you are in the habit of using your card to purchase things beyond your budget.

To fight inflation, the Federal Reserve hiked its benchmark interest rate a total of 11 times between March 2022 and July 2023, raising it from around zero to a range of 5.25% and 5.5%. That rate influences a host of other borrowing costs, including those for credit cards, car loans and mortgages.

Average Credit Card Debt by Age: Gen Z (Ages 18-27)

Even so, the average credit card debt for Gen Zers was $2,854 in the third quarter of 2022, according to Experian. A year later it had risen 14.3% to $3,262.

Women are stereotypically seen as irresponsible spenders, but the data doesn't back this up. According to a 2019 Experian study, men carry more debt than women across nearly all categories, including credit card debt — the study found that men have $125 more in credit card debt than women on average.

They seek credit less often

Millennials are considerably less attracted to debt than the preceding generations. For instance, Federal Reserve data¹ indicates that the percentage of Americans under 35 with credit card debt has dropped to its lowest level since 1989.

What generation holds the most debt? ›

Survey: Gen X Holds the Most Credit Card Debt, on Average; Gen Z Holds the Least. Americans collectively owe over $1 trillion in credit card debt, with members of Generation X, on average, owing the most and Gen Zers owing the least, CNBC.com Make It reported.

What is the average credit score? The average FICO credit score in the US is 717, according to the latest FICO data. The average VantageScore is 701 as of January 2024. Credit scores, which are like a grade for your borrowing history, fall in the range of 300 to 850.

On an individual level, the overall average balance is around $6,501, per Experian's data. Other generations' credit card debt falls closer to that average or below. Here's the average amount of credit card debt Americans hold by age as of the third quarter of 2023, according to Experian.

There are a couple ways credit card debt can damage your credit score: High balances: A major factor in your credit score is your credit utilization ratio (your credit card balances divided by their credit limits). Once this number gets above about 30%, it's bad for your credit.

Spending more than you make.

A credit card represents access to real purchasing power, but without tangible funds in hand, it's easy for cardholders to spend beyond their means. Overspending is one of the fastest ways to build a debt load that doesn't match your income.

Credit card debt is typically the most expensive debt you can take on. Interest rates on credit cards are typically well into the double-digits and often above 20% — even for people with good credit. By contrast, the best interest rates on student loans, mortgages and personal loans can be well under 10%.

And, if you aren't careful, that debt can accrue quickly because credit cards generally have high interest rates, which can make it even more difficult to get out of debt, says certified financial planner Hanna Horvath. "Credit card debt has obviously become extremely expensive," Horvath says.

“Most cardholders' rates have risen five-and-a-quarter percentage points during that span as a result of the Fed's rate hikes meant to combat inflation,” Rossman said. “It's no wonder, then, that we're seeing more people carrying more debt for longer periods of time.”