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How Gen Z Adults Want Their Valentine’s Day to Look

Whether they’re with friends or partners, these are the kinds of Valentine’s Day gifts and plans young adults want to have…

Written and Edited by the YPulse Editorial Team

Feb 10 2026
North America

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Celebrating Valentine’s with a partner is still the norm, but more than a quarter of Gen Z would prefer to spend it with friends
Traditional gifts are common, but young adults prefer unique, personal tokens and experiences
Between their budget and priority of personalization, many Gen Z adults would prefer to celebrate Valentine’s at home than go out

It’s constantly being said that Gen Z doesn’t have the same view on relationships as older gens. And it is true that they highly prioritize their friendships—which YPulse has studied and written about for years. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t romantics at all. More than two thirds (67%) of Gen Z young adults are planning to celebrate Valentine’s Day this year—far more than those who say they’ll be celebrating Galentine’s, or the spin-off Palentine’s. And among the 60% of 18-24-year-olds who are giving someone a V-Day gift this year, it’s by far most likely they’re giving it to a...