The Prince’s Trust published their Macquarie Youth Index in January 2017; reporting that young people’s happiness and wellbeing were at their lowest levels since the study was first commissioned in 2009.
The report noted:
- More than a quarter of young people do not feel in control of their lives;
- A third of young people do not feel in control of their job prospects;
- More than one in ten think their life will amount to nothing, no matter how hard they try;
- A fifth of young people do not think they have the ability to change their circumstances if they want to;
- The situation is even worse for NEET young people, who are more likely to feel worried about their circumstances and future;
- 34 per cent of young people think they will have a worse standard of living than their parents; and
- 42 per cent of young people feel traditional goals like owning a house or getting a steady job are unrealistic.
