Millennials – A survey of more than 7,600 youth ages 16 to 24 years old in 30 countries

In the fall of 2016, the International Youth Foundation (IYF) and the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) surveyed more than 7,600 youth ages 16 to 24 years old in 30 countries in order to gain insight into how young people see the world today and how they may continue to shape our world in the years
to come.

Hard data on the status of youth wellbeing is critical for good policy making. However, understanding how young people think and feel about their lives and futures is an important aspect of our knowledge base on youth development worldwide, particularly when reality and perceptions do not align.

Key Insights

1. Young people are largely optimistic about their economic futures: 74 percent of youth surveyed agreed with the statement “I will be able to get the kind of job I want.”
2. Income and job exibility motivate the greatest shares of young people when they are choosing a career path (73 percent and 56 percent, respectively).
3. Not all young people prioritize working toward a mission or having a say in decisions, motivators typically associated with millennials. However, around the world, young people do want supervisors who will help them grow, treat them with respect, and trust them.
4. Youth worldwide feel disconnected from their governments: 67 percent feel that their government does not care about their wants and needs.
5. Young people’s responses demonstrate a pressing need for mental healthcare: almost 56 percent of youth surveyed said that “the way I feel emotionally gets in the way of my studies, job, or social life.”
6. In terms of safety and security, young people are most worried about terrorism (46 percent) and sexual harassment and violence (38 percent for all youth, 52 percent for females).
7. The vast majority of youth believe in gender equality: 89 percent of those polled agreed or agreed strongly that women should have all the same rights as men.
8. Income inequality is a major concern for youth globally: 9 out of 10 surveyed agreed with the statement “There is too much economic divide between the high and low income.”

Chosen excerpts by Job Market Monitor. Read the whole story at 2016 Global Millennial Viewpoints Survey | International Youth Foundation