Gender ideological gap in Generation Z in Spain

In recent years, an ideological gap between young men and young women in Spain has been observed. With the aim of understanding this phenomenon, we delve deeply into its origins, studying the evolution that has occurred since the 1980s in two components that traditionally explain ideological self-placement: attitudes and voting behavior. The results show that the differences between men and women are more pronounced in Generation Z (aged 18 to 25) than in other age groups, primarily due to a shift in trend among men. Young individuals in Generation Z tend to align with and support parties closer to the right, displaying increasingly conservative attitudes and less favorability towards equality compared to women in the same generation. Moreover, they exhibit the lowest levels of support for democracy, reaching unprecedented levels since the 1970s. Investigating the origins of this new ideological gap is essential as a first step to comprehend its potential political ramifications.