According to Business Insider, on average, fewer young adults are getting their driver’s licenses than ever before. Statistics from the Federal Highway Administration show that only 68% of 19-year-olds nationwide got their driver’s licenses in 2021. In comparison, in the early 1980s, about 90% of young adults the same age had their licenses. Are cars simply too expensive for the youngest generation to afford in 2023? Or does Gen Z just not want a driver’s license? In truth, the answer probably lies somewhere in the middle.
The New York Post reports in 1997, the first year of Generation Z, over 40% of 16-year-olds got their license. However, in 2020, only about 25% of teenagers the same age could drive. A significant part of why Gen Z drives less could be that cars have become unaffordable.
Gen Z Not Eager To Drive, Fewer Applying For Their Driver’s License
