A significant political shift has taken place among Generation Z voters, according to new data released by Pew Research.
Between 2023 and 2025, Americans aged 18 to 29—once considered a reliably progressive voting bloc—have moved dramatically to the right, with a notable increase in Republican alignment among both men and women.
In 2023, Pew reported that 62 percent of Gen Z men and 65 percent of Gen Z women identified as Democrats or leaned Democratic.
Just 36 percent of men and 30 percent of women in that age range identified with or leaned toward the Republican Party.
These numbers reflected what had long been understood as a generational trend toward progressive politics. However, by 2025, those numbers had shifted significantly.
According to the latest Pew data, 52 percent of Gen Z men now identify as Republicans or lean Republican—a 16-point increase in just two years.
Among Gen Z women, the share of Republican identifiers or leaners has risen to 37 percent, a 7-point swing since 2023.
These shifts mark a dramatic reversal of what political analysts and commentators had come to expect from younger voters, particularly in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2020 election cycle.
During that period, Gen Z was widely associated with left-leaning activism, support for racial justice movements like Black Lives Matter and advocacy for strict public health measures.
Social media platforms in 2020 and 2021 were filled with posts from young people expressing solidarity with progressive causes.
Many shared black squares in support of BLM, publicly promoted COVID-19 vaccination and expressed admiration for public health officials like Dr. Anthony Fauci.
Now, however, the narrative has shifted.
The Daily Caller outlined that in just two years, a large segment of young voters—particularly men—have redefined their political identity.
The new Pew figures show Gen Z men now lean more Republican than Baby Boomers, upending traditional expectations about generational politics.
The data also shows a broader conservative trend among other age groups.
Men in the Millennial and Generation X brackets (ages 30 to 49) saw a rise in Republican identification, from 47 percent in 2023 to 51 percent in 2025.
Although the increase is less dramatic than that seen among Gen Z, it reflects a wider pattern of movement toward the political right among American men.
In contrast, the only demographic group that became more Democratic between 2023 and 2025 was men over the age of 65.
The reasons behind this shift were not detailed in the Pew study, though some commentators have suggested factors such as age-related changes in priorities or social attitudes may be involved.
Still, the larger story remains focused on Gen Z—a generation that only a few years ago was widely viewed as the most progressive in American history.
The rapid change in political alignment suggests a deeper, possibly lasting re-evaluation of political values among young Americans.
