Gen Z is widely seen as the generation most concerned about climate change, yet new research suggests many young adults are still spending a surprisingly long time in the shower.
More than half of people aged 18 to 29 shower for at least 10 minutes every day, according to the study.
Depending on the flow rate, a shower of that length can use up to 150 litres of water in one wash — equivalent to roughly 750 standard drinking glasses.
The findings highlight an uncomfortable contradiction for a generation raised amid warnings about drought, water shortages and the growing climate crisis.
Although a 10-minute shower may seem like an insignificant daily indulgence, scientists say most people need far less time to wash properly.
Dr Pablo Pereira-Doel, an environmental scientist at the University of Surrey, recently told Our News Outlet that three minutes is a reasonable target for a shower focused solely on washing the body.
People who wash their hair can add a further two minutes, taking the recommended total to about five minutes.
That estimate includes time spent enjoying the warm spray, too, suggesting there is little scientific reason to remain under running water for 10 minutes or longer.
More than half of 18 to 29-year-olds shower for at least 10 minutes each day, according to new research (stock image)
The poll, conducted by scientists at Let’s Save Water, found that younger adults were among the most likely to take lengthy showers, despite also expressing strong concern about environmental problems.
Some 52 per cent of 18 to 29-year-olds said their showers lasted at least 10 minutes. The figure fell to 39 per cent among Millennials aged between 30 and 45.
Among Gen X respondents, aged 46 to 61, just 28 per cent reported showering for that long.
The organisation surveyed 2,000 people across the UK and found that women were more likely than men to take extended showers. Twenty-seven per cent of women said they showered for more than 10 minutes each day, compared with 19 per cent of men.
A spokesman for Let’s Save Water said: ‘With drought conditions this summer renewing attention on the issue, Let’s Save Water is reinforcing a simple message – water is precious.
‘Protecting it means we all need to reduce the amount we use.
‘On average, adults believe they use about 30 litres of water a day, when the actual figure is closer to 140 litres.
‘Our research reveals a difference between generations, with Gen Z’ers the most likely to take showers lasting longer than 10 minutes.’
Researchers found that having someone else pay the bill, living in a soft-water area and shampooing twice can all increase water consumption
Showers in the UK last about 7.5 minutes on average, according to Dr Pereira-Doel.
However, research has found that showers can run considerably longer, with some people spending almost 40 minutes under the flow of water.
‘As for why people linger… the answer is that for a large share of showers, getting clean isn’t the point,’ he explained.
‘Over four in 10 showers in our sample were taken for reasons unrelated to hygiene: relaxation, self–care, warming up on a cold morning. When a shower is doing that job, its length isn’t a decision anyone is consciously making.’
People in soft water areas tend to shower around a fifth longer than those in hard water areas, he said.
‘The likely explanation is that shampoo lathers more richly and rinses more easily in soft water, so the shower feels better and people linger,’ he added.
Morning showers also tend to be shorter, because most people have somewhere they need to be. Meanwhile, with evening or weekend showers, there is less of a time constraint.
Low water pressure can also extend showers, ‘because people may compensate for a weak spray by staying in longer to feel properly rinsed’.
