FINANCIAL ANXIETY LEVEL AMONG GENERATION Z IN GUJARAT: AN EMPIRICAL STUDY

This study investigates the level of financial anxiety among postgraduate students in Surat City and evaluates gender-based differences using the original dataset of 287 respondents. Financial anxiety has emerged as a critical concern among students because of rising educational costs, uncertainty regarding future employment, and increasing dependence on financial planning. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire consisting of thirty validated financial anxiety items evaluated on a 7-point Likert scale. Descriptive statistics, reliability and transforming the data to compute the total score by using SPSS. The findings reveal an above-average Financial Anxiety Score (113.2343), indicating that financial concerns significantly affect postgraduate students. Male respondents and female respondents reported similar financial anxiety score which is higher than average score (105). The study contributes to the literature on student financial well-being and offers implications for educational institutions, policymakers, and financial counsellors.