Alarming new poll reveals Gen Z's huge Anzac Day hypocrisy ahead of the long weekend

By MATT JONES, SENIOR NEWS REPORTER, AUSTRALIA and ASHLEY NICKEL, NEWS REPORTER, AUSTRALIA Published: 23:43, 23 April 2026 | Updated: 23:44, 23 April 2026 An eye-opening new poll has revealed that the majority of young Aussies would refuse to make personal sacrifices to defend their country from a major threat.  News Corp's Growth Intelligence Centre surveyed 1,292 people earlier this month and found that Gen Z (people aged 14-29) and Millennials (aged 30-46) were the least likely to make sacrifices to defend Australia.  Just 20 per cent of Gen Z Aussies said they were willing to make personal sacrifices to help protect the country if it came under serious threat. In contrast, 31 per cent of Baby Boomers (aged 62-80) said they were willing to make sacrifices for the country. And on top of this apparent reluctance to defend the nation, more young people plan to participate in boozy two-up sessions at pubs and clubs on Anzac Day than to attend dawn services on Saturday.  Gen Z also doesn't believe the United States can be relied on, with just 11 per cent of respondents saying they could count on the major ally during a potential conflict.  Federal Liberal defence spokesman James Paterson told News Corp that while Anzac Day was Australia's most sacred day, more had to be done to educate the next generation about the sacrifices made to protect Australia.  One Nation leader Pauline Hanson said the reason Gen Z was unwilling to serve the nation was because: 'They're taught everything about Australia that is negative'.  New data reveals younger generations are less willing to make sacrifices in the event of war (pictured, a Royal Military College graduation in Canberra in 2005) The Kokoda Track campaign was a pivotal part of Australia's history  Many will still be happy to drink and play two-up on Anzac Day this weekend (pictured, a stock image of young people at The Australian Hotel in Sydney in 2016) RSL national president Peter Tinley, a former SASR member who lives in Perth, said he could remember times when Anzac Day was not as well attended as it is today. 'I remember Anzac Day marches in the 1970s when you could shoot a cannon down St Georges Terrace (in Perth) and not hit anyone, now they're 10 deep on Anzac Day,' he told News Corp. 'They (Gen Z) have got a different view of the world, they are very questioning and some people aren't used to being questioned but I don't think it's a bad thing.' When it came to introducing compulsory national service for young adults, 39 per cent of Gen Z supported the idea compared to 69 per cent of Baby Boomers - who would not have to fight because of their age.  When asked if they would be willing to serve in the military, 25 per cent of participants said they would, this figure dropped to 21 per cent among Millennials.  More than 75,000 Australians applied to join the ADF in the 2025 financial year, the highest number in five years. And while pubs and clubs are expected to be packed across the country on Saturday as millions play two-up, one Aussie tradition is falling by the wayside. Aussies are shunning getting involved in a good old-fashioned round while out for a drink, saying it was simply getting too expensive. The war in Iran has prompted many to question if younger Aussies were prepared to make sacrifices to defend the nation The Australian Federation Guard, made up from the Royal Australian Navy, Army and Air Force More Aussies are also steering clear of getting into a shout at the pub According to news.com.au, just 22 per cent of Aussies said they still like to get into a shout, while 34 per cent no longer do due to costs. Thousands of Australians will attend dawn services across the country tomorrow honour generations who have served and sacrificed in war.  Victoria Cross recipient and accused war criminal Ben Roberts-Smith has announced he will attend public ceremonies for Anzac Day. 'Anzac Day is sacred to me and every other veteran. I will be attending to pay my respects and I encourage everyone else to,' Roberts-Smith told the Daily Mail. The retired SAS corporal is expected to attend an Anzac Day event in Queensland on Saturday, the 111th anniversary of the Gallipoli landings. His declaration is amid ongoing debate around the circumstances of his arrest earlier this month and prosecution for the alleged war crime murders of five Afghan nationals during his tours of duty between 2009 and 2012.  Roberts-Smith was arrested on April 7 at Sydney's domestic airport in front of his partner and two teenage daughters. On Thursday, it was revealed he had preparing to move to Spain when police swooped. Many of his supporters earlier vowed to boycott Anzac Day ceremonies in protest. The comments below have not been moderated. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.