For decades, the cultural script suggested that contemplation of one's own mortality was a preoccupation reserved for the elderly. However, new data from Brazil suggests a profound inversion of this norm. According to the "Vida e Finitude" survey by Icatu Seguros and Conversion, it is the youngest cohorts—Gen Z and Millennials—who are most frequently grappling with the reality of the end. While 24% of Millennials and 22% of Gen Z report reflecting on death often, that figure drops to a mere 7% among Baby Boomers.
This shift appears to be a byproduct of a world in perpetual crisis. Younger generations have reached adulthood against a backdrop of systemic instability, where the "polycrisis"—the intersection of a global pandemic, escalating geopolitical conflict, and the looming threat of climate change—has made the abstract concept of finitude tangible. The survey notes that while personal loss remains a primary driver for these thoughts, external triggers like COVID-19 (44%) and environmental collapse (30%) have forced a premature reckoning with vulnerability.
Yet, there is a distinct gap between existential awareness and material preparation. Despite the erosion of the death taboo in conversation and thought, financial and logistical planning for the end of life remains remarkably low across all age groups. In Brazil, the rise of the *memento mori* mindset has yet to translate into the pragmatic world of estate planning or insurance, suggesting that while the youth are willing to look into the abyss, they are not yet ready to organize the paperwork for it.
With reporting from InfoMoney.
Source · InfoMoney
