By 2025, Generation Z will represent a quarter of the consumer base in Asia-Pacific (APAC), with rapidly growing disposable income. According to the forecasting firm WGSN, their priorities in terms of consumption and lifestyle will transform the regional ecosystem.
“Gen Z will see a 135% increase in their average gross income between 2023 and 2040,” the firm points out. “In India, two out of five urban consumers aged 15 to 55 already belong to this generation.”
Gen Z is now more confident in themselves and their passions. “More than eight in ten Gen Zers in APAC say it’s ‘okay to be weird.’”
In China, 34% of this cohort believe it is important to assert their uniqueness.
This shift also marks a reversal of cultural flows, with regional production gaining influence over Western models. “Asian pride is asserting itself,” notes WGSN. “The majority of Gen Z and Alpha youth in the APAC region are claiming the region’s global cultural influence.”
Slower, more experiential luxury
Luxury consumption is evolving toward a more participatory and immersive dimension. “For Gen Z, luxury is becoming an experience to be savored over time rather than a one-off transaction,” explains WGSN. The wealthiest young people are turning to more subtle markers that are “more difficult to imitate”. 71% of affluent Chinese women prefer to invest in experiences rather than material goods.
From pleasure to reason
Impulsive purchases are giving way to …
