An accusation traditionally directed at any younger generation is that they're not socially and politically engaged enough and are perhaps not doing all they could to move the world in the right direction. A recent Deloitte survey of people in the cohort referred to as 'Generation Z' (born between 1995 and 2003), reveals that for a large share this couldn't be further from the truth.

As this infographic from Statista.com shows, over half of the 8,273 global survey participants said they had donated to charity in the past two years, while at least a third were involved in a wide range of socially engaged activities and actions—ranging from attending a protest or march, to making a career decision based on their own ethical values.

This year’s global survey followed up on topics related to the pandemic, including its effect on respondents’ behaviors, stress levels, and opinions. As always, it asked about people’s satisfaction with business’s role in society. And it dug into the issues that matter to millennials and Gen Zs, especially the environment, social equality, and discrimination.

Here are some additional findings from the Deloitte survey.

  • This year’s survey, though, also makes it increasingly clear that millennials and Gen Zers aren’t just resilient—they’re channeling their energies into holding themselves and others accountable. They’re the people most likely to call out racism and sexism, and to shun companies and employers whose actions conflict with their personal values.

  • Millennials and Gen Zs, on the whole, seem more persistent, more vocal, and more apt than others to question and even upset the status quo. These generations believe in the power of individuals to create change. 

  • Even though they want institutions to do more and aren’t hesitant to call for government intervention to fix what they can’t, they embrace personal responsibility. It’s evident in their approach to everything from the pandemic to social justice—an approach that has real ramifications for employers, retailers, and every other organization and institution.