De Nederlandsche Bank (DNB) has published survey findings indicating that Dutch bank customers from the Silent Generation and Baby Boom Generation place greater importance on having a socially committed and sustainable bank than Millennials and Gen Z, contrary to common assumptions about younger customers’ preferences. Across all generations, respondents valued banks’ contributions to a resilient society, social inclusion and sustainability, but older cohorts rated these areas slightly higher. In particular, the Silent Generation and Baby Boomers placed greater weight on banks helping protect citizens and firms against cyber crime and military threats, including through measures such as favourable lending to defence-industry firms, and they more strongly expected banks to tackle money laundering and terrorist financing. Older customers were also more emphatic about ensuring access to financial services for people with limited digital skills, while younger customers tended to view digital and financial inclusion and banks’ societal contributions as a given. All generations agreed that core banking services must remain the priority, citing continuous access to savings, smoothly functioning payment systems and secure customer data as the foundation of trust. DNB has published the full survey results and recommendations in its report "From Silent Generation to Gen Z: Who Appreciates a Social and Sustainable Bank Most?", positioned as input for policymakers and supervisory authorities.
De Nederlandsche Bank 2025-12-10
De Nederlandsche Bank survey of 4,000 customers finds older generations value socially committed and sustainable banks more than Millennials and Gen Z
De Nederlandsche Bank's survey shows that Silent Generation and Baby Boomers prioritize social commitment and sustainability more than Millennials and Gen Z. Older generations emphasize banks' roles in cyber crime protection, military threat response, and financial inclusion for those with limited digital skills. The report, "From Silent Generation to Gen Z: Who Appreciates a Social and Sustainable Bank Most?", serves as input for policymakers and supervisory authorities.