article

What is Gen Z Planning to Cut Back Because of Tariffs?

Amid news of Trump’s new tariffs, YPulse asked Gen Z, the gen stepping into their spending power, what they plan to cut back on as prices rise…

Written and Edited by the YPulse Editorial Team

May 1 2025
North America

KEY TAKEAWAYS

The majority of young adults are worried about rising costs because of tariffs
Clothes / apparel is the number one thing they plan on cutting back spending on because of tariffs, especially with fast fashion getting more expensive
Some may hold off on buying food and new tech because of tariffs, opting for cheaper alternatives like eating at home or refurbished products to avoid price hikes

By now, we’re pretty sure you’ve heard about the tariffs President Trump has rolled out on goods coming into the U.S. ICYMI, the tariffs currently include a 10% across-the-board rate, a steep 25% on autos, auto parts, and metals, and duties as high as 145% on imports from China, the third-largest source of goods coming into the country after the EU and Mexico. But the reasons behind instituting the tariffs has shifted, the percentages have changed with little notice, and overall, it’s left a lot of Americans—especially young ones—feeling uneasy (if they weren’t already) about the economy. Amid all the...