The money question dividing Gen Z: 19-year-old Ailish asked 20-something Australians a simple question about their finances, but their answers couldn’t be more different.

An Australian Gen Z student has sparked debate by asking “how much does everyone have in their savings?”

Aili, who studies biomedical sciences in Melbourne, explained in a TikTok clip that she wanted to know if she is “on the right track” financially.

‘I’m 19 going on 20 and I have no idea. From what I’ve heard, some of my friends have received over $20,000 and others have literally $40 to their name,’ she said.

‘The only thing I want to know is what the average is because I want to know if I’m on the right track. And obviously no one is going to go around saying ‘I have so much’ but I just want an indication. Does anyone know where we should be?

Aili told WhatsNew2Day Australia that shortly after her post, she was inundated with responses and advice, with some boasting of having up to $200,000 and others revealing they only had a few hundred dollars.

“I didn’t think people would volunteer that information, but I think it was really helpful and I really like how open some people were,” the part-time healthcare worker said.

‘The best advice I received was not to worry too much… and not to aim for a particular number.

“Instead, what someone said was saving 3-6 months of living expenses and I thought that was a good approach.”

He said nights out on the town make it difficult to save money, as drinks in Melbourne cost between $15 and $20.

“I have some friends who work during the week so they can go out on Saturday nights – all their money goes towards that,” he said.

“They may not be making the best decisions.”

According to research by comparison website search engine, the average Australian will have $35,166 in cash savings in 2024.

“Baby boomers have $55,414 saved on average, compared to $43,510 for Generation X, $26,632 for millennials and $11,939 for Generation Z,” the report says.