Jun 16, 2026
The following is excerpted from an online article posted by Relevant
Deloitte’s 2026 Gen Z and Millennial Survey found that more than half of Gen Zers (55%) and millennials (52%) have delayed a major life decision because of their financial situation. Marriage, starting a family, buying a home, launching a business, going back to school — all of it is getting pushed back. Deloitte has taken to calling them the “maybe later” generations.
The financial picture behind that label isn’t subtle. For five consecutive years, cost of living has ranked as the top concern for both generations — cited by 38% of Gen Zers and 42% of millennials, ahead of unemployment, political instability and climate change. Nearly half of all respondents said they live paycheck to paycheck. Around 51% of Gen Z said they cannot afford to buy a house, and 69% said housing availability directly shapes their career decisions and where they’re able to work.
Deloitte describes the overall posture this way: these generations are choosing what’s sustainable over what’s performative, aligning life choices with realistic conditions rather than inherited timelines.
But the conditions the Deloitte report documents — chronic financial pressure, deferred milestones, a generation waiting for a window that keeps moving — create real spiritual risk. Rainer has described the warning signs in stark terms. “A red flag would be regular disappointment, when something you wanted to achieve doesn’t happen,” he said. “Maybe you find yourself scrolling through Instagram and TikTok, seeing these images of people on vacations and cars, and you feel jealous. That shows you’re placing your hope in something other than Christ.”
Source: Relevant
https://relevantmagazine.com/life5/more-than-half-of-young-adults-are-delaying-major-life-milestones-heres-whats-behind-it/