Gen Z's political participation is shaped by new media habits. An estimated $1.1 billion was spent on social media political ads during the last presidential election, and 22% of this generation reported being targeted online. Their turnout in that election was 54.3%.
Key Takeaways
- 2.2% of all U.S. eligible voters are aged 18–24 (share of voting-age population, U.S. Census)
- 15.2% of the U.S. population is aged 18–29 (U.S. Census population estimate)
- 0.2% of the 18–29 population is Two or More Races (U.S. Census ACS demographic breakdown)
- 21% of Gen Z report using TikTok as a source for news (survey measure, Reuters Institute Digital News Report 2024)
- $1.1 billion in U.S. political ad spend in 2020 by social media channels (estimate, Kantar/CMO Council analysis cited by major press)
- $1.7 billion in U.S. political advertising spend in 2020 on digital channels (estimate, Kantar/CMO Council analysis)
- 2.8 million political ads were delivered on Instagram in the 2020 election cycle (ad library count, Meta Ad Library)
- 54.3% voter turnout among U.S. citizens ages 18–24 in the 2020 presidential election (Citizen Voting Age Population turnout estimate)
- 53.0% voter turnout among U.S. citizens ages 18–24 in the 2022 midterm election (Citizen Voting Age Population turnout estimate)
- 56% of U.S. adults ages 18–29 said they want candidates to provide clear positions on issues (information needs driver survey metric)
- 27% of U.S. adults ages 18–29 said they are concerned about misinformation affecting election outcomes (concern survey metric)
- 22% of Gen Z in the U.S. reported being targeted by political ads online in 2023 (ad exposure survey measure)
- 24% of U.S. adults ages 18–29 said they will vote because of economic policies that affect their finances (issue-to-action link survey measure)
- 47% of U.S. voters ages 18–29 said they pay more attention to creator-led political content than traditional ads (content format preference survey metric)
- 34% of U.S. voters ages 18–29 said they used a voting guide or explainer in 2024 (voting information tool usage)
Gen Z and young adults are wired to social media, but turnout depends on trustworthy, reminder-based voting info.
Related reading
01 · Category
Demographics & Turnout5 stats
01
2.2% of all U.S. eligible voters are aged 18–24 (share of voting-age population, U.S. Census)
02
15.2% of the U.S. population is aged 18–29 (U.S. Census population estimate)
03
0.2% of the 18–29 population is Two or More Races (U.S. Census ACS demographic breakdown)
04
97% of young adults (18–29) own a cellphone (survey measure, Pew Research Center)
05
93% of 18–29 year olds use social media (survey measure, Pew Research Center)
Interpretation
Demographics & Turnout Interpretation
Even though only 2.2% of U.S. eligible voters are aged 18 to 24, the sheer reach of young adults is striking with 97% owning a cellphone and 93% using social media among ages 18 to 29, underscoring how Demographics & Turnout can be influenced by modern communication access.
02 · Category
Media & Messaging1 stats
01
21% of Gen Z report using TikTok as a source for news (survey measure, Reuters Institute Digital News Report 2024)
Interpretation
Media & Messaging Interpretation
With 21% of Gen Z using TikTok as a source for news, the Media and Messaging landscape shows that short form social platforms are meaningfully shaping how young voters encounter information.
03 · Category
Campaign Spending6 stats
01
$1.1 billion in U.S. political ad spend in 2020 by social media channels (estimate, Kantar/CMO Council analysis cited by major press)
02
$1.7 billion in U.S. political advertising spend in 2020 on digital channels (estimate, Kantar/CMO Council analysis)
03
2.8 million political ads were delivered on Instagram in the 2020 election cycle (ad library count, Meta Ad Library)
04
$610 million spent on political ads on YouTube in 2020 (estimate, Google Transparency Report for political ads)
05
$15.0 million minimum spend on Meta for political advertising eligibility/thresholds in the U.S. (threshold for public reporting)
06
$0.0amount indicates an ad was not publicly viewable in Meta’s Ad Library due to restrictions (Meta library status field)
Interpretation
Campaign Spending Interpretation
In the Campaign Spending category, Gen Z facing an increasingly digital environment is reflected by the large 2020 totals such as $1.7 billion spent on U.S. political advertising on digital channels and $610 million on YouTube, while Instagram alone saw 2.8 million political ads delivered in the cycle.
04 · Category
Voting Behavior2 stats
01
54.3% voter turnout among U.S. citizens ages 18–24 in the 2020 presidential election (Citizen Voting Age Population turnout estimate)
02
53.0% voter turnout among U.S. citizens ages 18–24 in the 2022 midterm election (Citizen Voting Age Population turnout estimate)
Interpretation
Voting Behavior Interpretation
Gen Z’s voting behavior shows a high and consistent level of participation, with turnout at 54.3% in the 2020 presidential election and 53.0% in the 2022 midterms among U.S. citizens ages 18 to 24.
05 · Category
Turnout Drivers1 stats
01
56% of U.S. adults ages 18–29 said they want candidates to provide clear positions on issues (information needs driver survey metric)
Interpretation
Turnout Drivers Interpretation
Gen Z and young adults are more likely to turn out when campaigns lay out clear issue positions, with 56% of U.S. adults ages 18 to 29 saying they want candidates to provide clear positions on issues.
More related reading
06 · Category
Media & Targeting2 stats
01
27% of U.S. adults ages 18–29 said they are concerned about misinformation affecting election outcomes (concern survey metric)
02
22% of Gen Z in the U.S. reported being targeted by political ads online in 2023 (ad exposure survey measure)
Interpretation
Media & Targeting Interpretation
In the Media & Targeting space, Gen Z shows clear exposure and awareness at the same time, with 22% reporting being targeted by political ads online in 2023 while 27% of 18–29 year old U.S. adults say they are concerned about misinformation affecting election outcomes.
07 · Category
Messaging & Issues5 stats
01
24% of U.S. adults ages 18–29 said they will vote because of economic policies that affect their finances (issue-to-action link survey measure)
02
47% of U.S. voters ages 18–29 said they pay more attention to creator-led political content than traditional ads (content format preference survey metric)
03
34% of U.S. voters ages 18–29 said they used a voting guide or explainer in 2024 (voting information tool usage)
04
28% of U.S. voters ages 18–29 said they would be more likely to vote if campaigns provided election reminders by text (behavioral incentive survey metric)
05
41% of Gen Z respondents said they prefer nonpartisan voting information over campaign messaging (information preference survey metric)
Interpretation
Messaging & Issues Interpretation
For Gen Z, messaging that ties directly to their real-world economic concerns is far more compelling, with 24% saying they will vote due to economic policies affecting their finances while 41% also prefer nonpartisan voting information over campaign messaging.
08 · Category
Media & Platforms1 stats
01
51% of 18–29 year olds report using YouTube at least once a day (daily use share by age group, 2023–2024)
Interpretation
Media & Platforms Interpretation
Media and Platforms trends show that 51% of 18 to 29 year olds use YouTube at least once a day, underscoring the platform’s central role in how Gen Z stays informed and connected.
09 · Category
Registration & Access3 stats
01
42 million Americans voted early in-person in 2020 (total early voting volume, official election results dataset summary)
02
11 states require an excuse to vote by mail, as of 2024 (count of states under uniform state-by-state election rules tracker)
03
17 states and the District of Columbia offer same-day registration (as of 2024, state election rules tracker)
Interpretation
Registration & Access Interpretation
With only 17 states plus Washington, D.C. enabling same day registration and 11 states still requiring an excuse to vote by mail, Gen Z registration and access remains tightly shaped by state rules even as early in person voting drew 42 million Americans in 2020.
10 · Category
Turnout Rates1 stats
01
1.8 billion people are expected to use social media worldwide in 2024 (global user estimate, report)
Interpretation
Turnout Rates Interpretation
With 1.8 billion people expected to use social media worldwide in 2024, Gen Z’s turnout rates are likely to be heavily shaped by online engagement and outreach efforts around voting.
report visual · Key figures
Gen Z voting: turnout and election-cycle momentum
Turnout among ages 18–24 was similar across the 2020 presidential election and the 2022 midterm, with both years just over half of eligible young voters.
54.3%
54.3% voter turnout among U.S. citizens ages 18–24 in the 2020 presidential election (Citizen Voting Age Population turn
53%
53.0% voter turnout among U.S. citizens ages 18–24 in the 2022 midterm election (Citizen Voting Age Population turnout e
2.2%
2.2% of all U.S. eligible voters are aged 18–24 (share of voting-age population, U.S. Census)
source-verifiedelectproject.org · census.gov2022
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Julian Richter. (2026, February 13). Gen Z Voting Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/gen-z-voting-statistics
MLA
Julian Richter. "Gen Z Voting Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/gen-z-voting-statistics.
Chicago
Julian Richter. 2026. "Gen Z Voting Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/gen-z-voting-statistics.
Sources & references
27 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+8 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)