The study surveyed 23,268 adults from 29 countries, including about 1,000 from the United States.
What is “manosphere”?
In search of connection, America’s lost youth are turning to the “manosphere.”
Almost a third of Gen Z men in 29 countries believe wives should “always obey their husbands,” a new study conducted in Paris in time for International Women’s Day on March 8th has found.
An International Women’s Day study released by Paris-based multinational market research and consulting firm IPSOS found that of 23,268 adults surveyed, 31% of Gen Z men agreed that wives should always obey their husbands. This number is more than double the 13% response among male baby boomers.
Gen Z male participants consistently expressed more traditional views about gender roles across the board. As outlined in the survey, 57% of Gen Z men agreed that “progressing women’s equality has historically discriminated against men,” and 59% of men agreed that they were expected to “go to great lengths to support equality.” These numbers differed from older participants, with 42% of baby boomer men agreeing that gender equality leads to discrimination against men, and 45% of men agreeing that they are expected to go to excessive lengths to support equality.
The new study comes as the conversation continues to grow, especially in the United States, about young people’s involvement in the manosphere: websites, videos, and forums that promote male supremacy and defend traditional gender roles. Powerful figures in the manosphere, such as self-proclaimed misogynist content creator Andrew Tate, believe that women are to blame for men’s rejection of relationships, low self-esteem, and financial insecurity.
Here we take a closer look at the IPSOS study, including how it was conducted and which countries participated.
Young men express traditional views about their own behavior
In addition to expectations for women, Gen Z men also reported the highest expectations for traditional physical, mental, and emotional expectations for themselves.
According to the IPSOS survey, 43% of Gen Z men think young men should strive to be physically tough, and when it comes to more emotion-centered prompting, 32% of men agreed that they should solve problems on their own before asking for help.
How was the research conducted?
The survey was conducted in 29 countries and distributed on IPSOS’ Global Advisor platform and in India on IPSOS’ IndiaBus platform. The study was conducted between December 24, 2025 and January 9, 2026, according to the study’s technical note summary.
The study asked participants 13 questions about their attitudes toward gender equality. Freedom and the future. and gender roles. Some questions asked participants to rate the extent to which they personally agreed or disagreed with the statements, while others asked participants what others believed. Other questions asked participants to rate whether men or women have more choice in various situations, such as family roles, free time hobbies, and romantic relationships.
IPSOS defines Generation Z as those born between 1996 and 2012, Millennials as those born between 1980 and 1995, Generation X as those born between 1966 and 1979, and Baby Boomers as those born between 1945 and 1965.
Which countries participated in this study?
The study surveyed adults in Thailand, Indonesia, India, Mexico, Chile, Singapore, Malaysia, Colombia, Peru, Argentina, South Africa, South Korea, Brazil, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Belgium, Australia, Poland, Germany, Turkey, Hungary, Sweden, United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, United States, France, and Japan.
Japan had the largest sample size, with a total of approximately 2,000 participants. Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy, Mexico, Spain and the United States had the next largest sample sizes, with approximately 1,000 participants from each country, according to the study’s technical notes.
Countries with strict gender roles reflected in the survey
The study organized participants’ responses by gender, generation, and country of origin. Overall, U.S. responses tended to be moderate when it comes to more traditional gender roles and expectations.
Regarding the country with the most responses related to these roles, 80% of male participants in Thailand agreed that gender equality efforts discriminate against men. This compares to 40% of male participants in the United States. Additionally, 70% of male participants in Brazil and India agreed that men are expected to make greater efforts for equality (compared to 44% of men in the United States). These answers reflect the historically strict gender roles that have been enforced in these countries.
Contributor: Rachel Hale, USA TODAY
Greta Cross is USA TODAY’s national trends reporter. Story ideas? Email her at gcross@usatoday.com.
