Why tens of thousands of young Indians are calling themselves cockroaches

• Indian youth, frustrated with unemployment and corruption, are calling themselves cockroaches.
• They created a satirical group called the “Cockroach Janta Party,” and are protesting with cockroach masks.
• India is battling with a high youth unemployment rate, with 13.6% of urban youth being jobless as of 2025.

In contrast, China’s “rat people” trend of 2025 was characterized by a passive, quiet resignation of the country’s youth. Burned out by China’s grueling “996” work culture, high unemployment, and low wages, young Chinese people started documenting their days spent lounging at home, scrolling on the internet, and eating takeout.

Representatives for the Cockroach Janta Party did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.