Young Australian men are paving new ground in emotional openness and adaptability, reporting higher confidence levels than older generations.
The inaugural Male Confidence Index from Man of Many shows Gen Z men are 13 per cent more likely to express vulnerability (51 per cent) than Gen X (38 per cent), and have the highest overall confidence score of any generation of men at 66/100.
Sixty per cent of Gen Z men feel like they can express their identity without fear of judgement and 51 per cent speak openly about issues affecting men, figures significantly higher than older generations.
The index, which surveyed about 2000 Australians aged 18-64 about their confidence, highlighted a “mid-life confidence cliff”.
Gen Z men report the highest confidence overall (66 points), with this figure declining for Millennials (64) and then even further among Gen X men (60). Confidence rebounds slightly for Baby Boomers (61).
The Male Confidence Index is the first to take a national measure of men’s confidence in Australia and is designed to pull the national conversation about modern masculinity away from the extremes by focusing on real data.
“Confidence shapes how men show up as partners, fathers, colleagues and friends – yet we’ve never had a national measure of it,” says Frank Arthur, Co-Founder of Man of Many.
“This Index fills that gap. By tracking confidence annually, we can measure whether our conversations about men’s wellbeing are actually translating into stronger families, healthier workplaces and more connected communities. It’s a barometer for society, not just individual men.”
The fatherhood factor
The research found a stark difference in how younger and older generations of men felt about their own fathers and upbringings.
Sixty-one per cent of Gen Z men say they felt able to express emotions openly with their fathers growing up. This compared to just 30 per cent of Gen X men.
Meanwhile 64 per cent of Gen Z men said their upbringing positively shaped their confidence. This compared to 51 per cent among Gen X men.
“What we’re seeing is a generation of young men who are more emotionally articulate and comfortable with authenticity than any generation before them,” says Arthur.
“We’re also seeing evidence that early experiences of fatherhood are echoing into adulthood, with a more open and emotionally available parenting style from many Gen X fathers directly shaping how confident men feel today.”
Young men feel more anxiety
Despite their higher scores on confidence, younger men (Gen Z and Millenials) say they feel more anxiety in their day-to-day lives. Just under 50 per cent of Gen Z men report using recreational drugs to manage stress and emotions, while Millennials are more likely to use alcohol.
How do women view men’s confidence?
More than 500 women shared their insights in the survey on how they perceive men’s confidence.
A massive 92 per cent of women in heterosexual relationships with men say confidence matters in a partner. However, only 62 per cent described their partner as “very” or “extremely” confident.
Women also tend to rate men’s confidence lower than men rate themselves, except for in the domains of finance and career, where it flips.
More than 80 per cent of women believe that the men closest to them feel pressure to appear in control, and say men often deal with anxiety without showing it openly.
Concerningly, just 47 per cent of women believe the men in their lives consistently follow habits that support their wellbeing, while 76 per cent of women said men struggle with body image, even if they don’t talk about it.
When it comes to describing masculinity, women are more likely than men to prioritise empathy and vulnerability. Men tend to place greater emphasis on strength.