From 2021 to 2025, we conducted 2,731 surveys and 150 interviews with Australians aged 18–24 about education, work, wellbeing, relationships, and civic participation. When we started this Australian Youth Barometer in 2021, we didn’t foresee the troubled waters ahead - starting with the COVID-19 pandemic. Here are three things we learnt.
Firstly, things got better for young people since the onset of COVID-19. For example, the proportion reporting an impact on mental health dropped from 87% in 2021 to 59% in 2025.
Secondly, their economic circumstances became more unstable. The proportion in casual work nearly doubled over the five years (to 32%) after the effects of the pandemic had subsided. Participation in full‑time work showed no clear upward movement.
Financial stress was prevalent, with between eight to nine in 10 experiencing some difficulty each year. Confidence in achieving financial security declined to less than half (46%). In 2023, one 19 year old woman from Queensland felt “like everything just rose in price, all of a sudden, quite quickly. Not just housing, even buying food and stuff. It all just rose quite quick.”
Fewer young people were able to save regularly, with those believing they could afford a comfortable home in the next year declining from 46% to 30%. Less than half of respondents expressed longer‑term optimism about owning a home.
While fewer sought mental health support over time, interviewees showed resignation from being able to access support rather than reduced need.
Others show resignation from broader meaningful change, which leads to our final observation.
Faith in politicians and optimism about the future eroded. In 2021, a 24 year old non-binary person from New South Wales lamented, “It just seems like the majority population just doesn't want to fight for a future.”
A 23 year old man from the ACT had become “very cynical... The world's very set in its ways. I don't think a lot of change can come until generations die out, realistically.”
Further to this, a 24 year old woman from New South Wales foresaw that as “our generation gets older… we will be put into more positions of power and hopefully once we are in positions of power, we can make more change.”
Last year, a woman from Victoria believed that “Young people can get into politics if they really feel like really passionate about it. It’s good for young people to get educated and join in on the occupations that they think they can make change in.”
The top three issues identified by young people that need immediate change were: affordable housing options (from 60% in 2022 to 82% in 2025); employment opportunities for young people (48% to 64%); and climate change (47% to 44%).
With Gen-Xers and younger outnumbering older Australians in electoral terms, this change has already begun.
The Monash Centre for Youth Policy and Education Practice, released the report titled, Young Australian Lives During Polycrisis: Five Years of Key Trends from the Australian Youth Barometer (2021-2025).
