Young Men And Women Have More In Common Than Divides, Say Public - Despite Gender Gap In Perceptions Of Tension And Optimism...

Only a minority of Britons (32%) think there is much tension between men and women in the UK today, and most (55%) believe young men and young women have more in common than divides them - despite a gender divide among young people in perceptions of tension and how optimistic they are about their futures.

Women aged 16 to 29 (58%) are the only group with a majority who feel there is tension between men and women today - far higher than among men the same age (34%), meaning young people are most divided on this issue.

At the same time, there is also a gender divide among young people on optimism about the future: young men (20%) are significantly less likely than their female peers (57%) to feel young people of their gender will end up having a better life than those from their parents' generation.

The study, carried out by King's College London's Policy Institute and Global Institute for Women's Leadership, in partnership with Ipsos, also reveals young men in the UK feel less aggrieved about their position in society than their American peers did in 2024, and that within the UK it is actually young women (63%), rather than young men (50%), who are more likely to feel they can have their reputations destroyed for speaking their minds.

The research is based on a representative survey of 4,027 people aged 16+ in August on the Ipsos UK online KnowledgePanel, which uses random probability sampling - the most rigorous survey method available - and involves providing offline households with tablets and internet access, ensuring results represent all of society.

The findings reveal:

• Despite prominent debates about gender divides in recent years, a third (32%) of the public feel there is tension between men and women in the country today - the lowest for all groups measured in the study. For example, 86% think there is tension between immigrants and people born in the UK, 68% say the same for supporters of different political parties, and 45% for different generations.
• However, women aged 16 to 29 (58%) are the only group with a majority who feel there is tension between the two genders - far higher than among men the same age (34%), meaning young people are most divided on this issue.
• A majority (55%) of the public say young women and young men have more in common than divides them - but young women (47%) are notably less likely than young men (62%) to feel this way.
• 46% of young men aged 16 to 29 now say feminism has done more good than harm to society - a 10-point increase from 2023 - at the same time as men aged 60+ have become less positive about feminism's impact.
• Similarly, over the last two years, the share of young men who say it's harder to be a woman than a man in British society today has risen from 35% to 46%. (And among the public overall, 45% think it's harder to be a woman, compared with 11% who say it's harder a man).
• There has been a slight fall in the proportion who think attempts to give equal opportunities for women have not gone far enough, from 46% to 37% (the biggest shift is among women aged 60+, falling from 49% in 2023 to 33% now).
• Despite growing up in an era of greater gender equality, younger Britons of both genders perceive much stronger societal expectations for men to provide financially for their families. For example, 53% of men aged 16 to 29 say society expects men to do this, compared with 32% of men aged 60+.
• However, there is consensus between generations and genders that responsibilities should be shared equally between men and women. For example, young women (67%) are roughly as likely as older men (70%) to say providing financially should be an equal responsibility.
• Half (50%) of UK men aged 18 to 29 agree "guys can have their reputation destroyed just for speaking their minds these days" - compared with two-thirds (65%) of American men the same age, as revealed in separate research carried out last year.
• Among this age group in the UK, young women (63%) are actually more likely than young men (50%) to say their gender can have their reputations destroyed by speaking their minds in this way.
• Young men in the UK (38%) are also much less likely than their US counterparts were (61%) to agree "men should be represented and valued more in our society".

Disaffection and representation across genders and ages

The UK public overall are just as likely to say women (56%) can have their reputation destroyed just for speaking their minds as they are to say the same about men (52%), and they're equally likely to agree society, in general, does not care about the wellbeing of either gender (35% for both women and men).

However, there is a much bigger divide in views on which gender should be represented and valued more in society, with the public more than twice as likely to say women (71%) rather than men (33%).

And there is consensus across genders that women are underrepresented and undervalued in society, with at least two-thirds of men across all age groups agreeing, even if they feel it less strongly than women.

Women aged 16 to 29 (24%) are around half as likely as men the same age (47%) to feel society values young men's views too little. This 23-point gender gap in opinion is far greater than that seen among older age groups.

By contrast, there is more agreement among young people on the need to better value young women's views, with majorities of both men (52%) and women (62%) aged 16 to 29 feeling this way.

Overall, though, the public are actually most likely to feel the views of older women are valued too little. 50% hold this view, compared with 42% who feel the same about younger women, 31% about younger men, and 29% about older men. And the public are most likely to say the views of older men (32%) are valued too much.

Gender divide in optimism about the future

58% of people say young women today will end up having a better life than women from their parents' generation, compared with 31% who say the equivalent about young men.

And women aged 16 to 29 (57%) are three times more likely than men (20%) the same age to say young people of their gender will do better than those from their parents' generation.

Across all age groups, there is relatively little divide by gender on whether today's young women will benefit from generational progress.

But when it comes to whether the equivalent will be true for today's young men, there is a clear gender divide in opinion between the youngest age group, with young men themselves (20%) around half as likely as young women (39%) to feel today's young men will have a better life.

Feminism and women's equality

Men's views on the impact of feminism show diverging generational trends, with the most notable shifts occurring at opposite ends of the age spectrum - although all are more likely to feel it has done more good than more harm.

46% of young men aged 16 to 29 now say feminism has done more good than harm to society - a 10-point increase from 2023 and just four points below the share of young women (50%) who say the same. This compares to 42% overall -little changed from 2023.

In contrast, older men aged 60 and over have moved in the opposite direction, with 35% of this group now saying feminism has done more good than harm - down from 44% two years ago.

But overall, public views are little changed: 42% think feminism has done more good than harm, 10% more harm than good, and 28% both.

Among the public overall, 42% now say attempts to give equal opportunities to women have gone about right - up slightly from 36% in 2023 - while the share who feel attempts have not gone far enough has fallen from 46% to 37%.

And while a clear majority of two-thirds (68%) still say moves to promote equal rights for women have had a positive impact on today's young women, this is down from 76% in 2023.

Most of this shift is driven by middle-aged (aged 30 to 59) and older people (aged 60+) of both genders, with men aged 60+ seeing the biggest decline in belief that equal rights have benefitted young women, from 83% to 68% in the last two years.

At the same time, the share of the public overall who say equal rights for women have had a positive impact on today's young men has also fallen, from 42% to 35%.

Gendered expectations and experiences

Large minorities of the public perceive traditional gender expectations to still be dominant in Britain today, even though many more feel responsibilities should be shared equally.

A third (36%) of the public as a whole believe men are expected to bear primary responsibility for providing financially for the family, while nearly half (46%) say women are expected to take on the greater share of household management and family care.

However, when asked what should be the case, large majorities favour equal sharing of both domestic (80%) and financial (72%) responsibilities between men and women.

And younger Britons - who have grown up in an era of greater formal gender equality - are actually more likely than older generations to perceive traditional gender expectations persisting in society today:

• 45% of young men feel that in society today women are expected to manage the household and care for family members - notably higher than the proportion of middle-aged (34%) and older (26%) men who say the same.
• And there is a similar generational divide among women themselves, with 62% of women aged 16 to 29 saying society expects women to manage the household and care, compared with under half (46%) of women aged 60+.
• 42% of women aged 16 to 29 believe men today are expected to provide financially for the family, compared with 30% of women aged 30 to 59 and 23% of women aged 60+.
• Young men show an even more pronounced perception of these expectations: 53% feel society expects men to shoulder greater financial responsibility - higher than the share of middle-aged (44%) and older (32%) men who feel this way.

Despite these differences in perceived expectations, there is broad consensus across genders and generations that responsibilities should be shared equally in both areas.

For example, around seven in 10 women aged 16 to 29 (67%) say men and women should share responsibility equally for providing financially for the family - roughly the same as the share of men aged 60+ (70%) who hold this view.

Who has it harder: women or men?

Compared with 2023, younger men are now more likely to feel it's harder to be a woman than a man today: 46% now hold this view - up from 35%, driven by a doubling of the proportion of young men who say it's much harder to be a woman, which has risen from 10% to 20%.

However, middle-aged and older men, and older women, have become slightly less likely to hold this view, and more likely to say there is little difference in who has it harder.

Among the public as a whole, people are four times as likely to say it's harder to be a woman (45%) than to be a man (11%) - virtually the same as two years ago.

What might help? The public's priorities

When asked about priorities for addressing challenges facing boys and young men, investment in youth services (48%) and support specifically tailored for men (45%) emerge as the most popular options, followed by greater workplace support for fathers, for example through better paternity leave (37%).

Only 2% prioritise appointing a government minister for men over other potential actions.

Professor Bobby Duffy, Director of the Policy Institute at King's College London, said:

"There has been a lot of focus recently on the supposed increase in division between men and women in the UK, particularly young men and women - but our study suggests this positioning of gender divides as a new front in a UK 'culture war' is overblown.

"The public see much less tension across genders than they see between immigrants and people born in the UK, between supporters of different political parties and even across generations. Young men in the UK are also much less likely to say they are under-represented or under-valued compared with women than we see from similar studies among young men in the US. And we have actually seen increasing recognition among young UK men of the challenges facing young women in the last few years, with now half of young men saying it's harder to be woman today.

"But this does not mean there are no challenges facing young men. Four in 10 young men now say they expect their generation of men to have a worse life than their fathers, and only 20% expect it to be better. This is a much more pessimistic view than seen among young women, where a majority expect their life to be better. Of course, this will partly reflect the inequalities women in older generations faced - but it still leaves a very worrying level of pessimism among young men.

"The public do not see one magic solution in getting to a better future for young men, and instead put an emphasis on real, practical support, in stronger youth services and mentorship, targeted mental health services and greater support for fathers in the workplace. The public also agree that they have just about no confidence that appointing a 'minister for men' would help, with only 2% saying this should be a priority."

Gideon Skinner, Senior Director of UK Politics at Ipsos, said:

"Despite rising concerns about culture war divisions generally in the UK, Brits don't think that tensions between men and women are driving this. In fact, most think young women and young men have more in common that divides them, and there are other areas of consensus, particularly on the challenges still facing women and on the principle that responsibilities for the home and finances should be shared more equally between the genders.

"Nevertheless, problems still clearly exist, with young women and young men having different views over the challenges they face in the future. Young women are particularly aware of gender-based tensions, the societal barriers still facing women, and to feel gendered expectations over how they act and what they say. But it is young men - whilst still being aware of the challenges facing women - who are most likely to feel that they have missed out on the promise of progress from their fathers' generation.

"Finally, this research reminds us that for all the important focus on the challenges facing young men and young women, they aren't the only groups we should be concerned about. In fact, it is the views of older women who Britons think are least valued by society (and the views of older men who are valued too much).

Professor Heejung Chung, Director of the Global Institute for Women's Leadership at King's College London, said:

"Our findings show there is a lot of common ground between young men and women - for example, equal, balanced relationships where breadwinning and caregiving responsibilities are shared. Young men, in particular, are far more aware of the realities women face and realise the importance of gender equality than stereotypes suggest. But many still feel boxed in by old-fashioned expectations of what a "real man" or a "proper woman" should do. These pressures - not young people's values - are driving the gender gap headlines. If we want to bridge divides, we need to tackle these outdated social norms. The truth is, today's generation is already much closer in values than the public debate recognises."

Study details

Ipsos UK interviewed online a representative sample of 4,027 adults aged 16+ across the United Kingdom between 21 and 27 August 2025, following previous surveys of 3,716 between 17 and 23 August 2023, 2,931 between 13 and 19 January 2022, and 2,834 between 25 November and 2 December 2020. This data has been collected by Ipsos' UK KnowledgePanel, an online random probability panel which provides gold standard insights into the UK population, by providing bigger sample sizes via the most rigorous research methods. Data are weighted by age, gender, region, Index of Multiple Deprivation quintile, education, ethnicity and number of adults in the household in order to reflect the profile of the UK population. All polls are subject to a wide range of potential sources of error.