Nine Shift makes another breakthrough exclusive discovery! Two in two weeks!
The percentage of young people who say an auto is a necessity has plunged in the last 3 years, according to a Pew Research Center study. While not in the report, Nine Shift contacted Dr. Wendy Wang, lead researcher for the study, who provided us with the data.
In April 2009 some 93% of people aged 50-64 said the auto was a necessity. However, only 80% of people aged 18-29 said the auto was a necessity.
In 2006, the different generations both agreed the auto was a necessity, both coming in at 92%. The huge decline in Gen Y's attitude caused the whole population's rating of the auto as a necessity to decline 3 points, down to 88% overall.
As Gen Y took over the 18-29 age group from Gen X, notice the percent dropped 12% in just 3 years.
Gen Y is pulling down the entire population's rating of the auto. While the auto is still the highest rated necessity by Americans, the 88% rating is the lowest since surveys started in 1973. Some 12% of Americans say an auto is now a luxury, the highest percentage since 1973.
Stay tuned for the next poll in another few years, watch Gen Y's love affair with the auto fade even more.
Nate Silver did his thing with statistics and came to the conclusion that car culture is ending, too. http://www.esquire.com/features/data/nate-silver-car-culture-stats-0609
Posted by: Drew Weilage | May 08, 2009 at 09:07 AM
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Posted by: Van Leasing | July 04, 2009 at 09:26 AM