Gender identity is becoming more central to women of all ages, but less central to young men

Although traditional gender roles are being challenged in many Western societies, few studies have examined how gender identity centrality has changed over time and across different generations. Here, we use longitudinal panel data from a nationwide random sample of adults in New Zealand (N = 61,760) to assess change in men’s and women’s gender identity centrality from 2011 to 2024 across 10 distinct birth cohorts spanning the ages of 18 to 73. Cohort-sequential growth models revealed countervailing growth trajectories for men and women. Whereas gender identity centrality increased among all but two of the birth cohorts for women, men’s gender identity centrality both decreased (among the four youngest birth cohorts) and increased (in two of the three oldest cohorts). Our findings imply aging and period effects for women, and cohort effects for men. Although further testing is required, our results suggest that gender is becoming more central to women’s identity across the lifespan and that young men are starting to increasingly distance themselves from their gender.