Joel Kotkin: The generational war has begun in France - National Post
A demonstrator attempts to kick away a fuming tear gas pellet amid a cloud a of tear gas during a demonstration in favor of purchasing power, the protection of public services, and fiscal and social justice, in Lyon, central France on October 24, 2026 as part of a nationwide call for mobilisation bringing together former members of the Yellow Vest movement, labor unions, high school and university students Photo by Photo by Olivier CHASSIGNOLE /AFP via Getty ImagesArticle contentYoung people, at least a portion of them, are on the offensive, with mass protests spreading from Paris and Milan to Katmandu New Delhi and Sri Lanka. A generational war has begun, and its consequences, including for North America, could be devastating.
Although conditions differ by country, the spark behind these protests lies in both the real and the fitfully imagined: high housing prices, food inflation, lack of good jobs and failing education systems are not figments of their imaginations. At the same time, cries of poverty seem a bit overwrought for a generation that enjoys the most wealth in history and, in the West at least, their protest seems to stem from being raised to think they were special, only to find out that the world is not such a welcoming place.
The new generational war is fueled by a deep pessimism among those under 40 about the future. This, noted a 2022 Pew study, is particularly marked in Japan, France and Italy, with majorities of adult parents seeing a bleaker future for the next generation by more than three to one. The United States also does poorly with 72 per cent, while Canada does even worse, clocking in at 75 per cent.
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The kindling for the current protests appears to lie with premonitions about their chances of enjoying anything like the success and security of their parents. These concerns feed a radicalization that is spreading worldwide and could undermine the last remnants of liberal democracy.
Indeed, according to Statistics Canada, hope about the future declined among Canadians aged 15 to 29 by about 15 percentage points in just five years between 2016 to 2021/2022. The percentage of young adults who were highly satisfied with their lives also declined.
For many, housing defines the divergence between the generations. Younger people are already way behind their parents in terms of buying a home in virtually every country. The discrepancy is particularly stark in parts of the United States, Australia and Canada, all countries with ample land and abundant natural resources. According to U.S. Census Bureau data, the rate of homeownership among young adults aged 25–34 was 45.4 per cent for generation X, but has dropped to 37 per cent for millennials, the generation now entering family formation years.
Much the same can be seen in Canada. Millennials, notes Statistics Canada, had a lower rate of homeownership in 2021 (49.9 per cent) than their gen-X counterparts in 2006 (56.2 per cent) and baby boomer counterparts in 1991 (55.9 per cent). In Toronto, notes the Hub, the proportion of young homeowners in a single-detached home fell from 32.7 per cent in 1991 to 19.4 per cent in 2021. In Vancouver, it dropped from 36.3 per cent to just 12.2 per cent.
