The multitude of pressures and external stressors in young people’s lives is impacting their anxiety and wellbeing, including falling happiness and life satisfaction, a national survey has found.

We were one of the national sponsors of the Youth Voice Census, carried out by Youth Employment UK, to which more than 11,500 young people aged between 11 and 30 responded.

Key results of the survey relating to mental health and wellbeing were:

  • The proportion of young people reporting high levels of anxiety remains at 22%.
  • Around two thirds say they feel lonely at least some of the time, including around one in five who feel lonely often.
  • Some 28% of young people who have missed education say it’s due to mental health or anxiety.
  • Mental health is also impacting work - with 33% of respondents indicating that anxiety is their biggest employment barrier.
  • High life satisfaction has fallen to 33% in 2026, down from 36% in 2025 and 38% in 2026.

These echo our own Public Perceptions Survey data that found that seven in 10 (70%) young people aged between 16 and 24 say loneliness negatively affects their mental health.

Other Youth Voice Census key findings include:

  • The economy is now the national issue that young people are most likely to identify as a concern – with 46% saying this, compared to 38% in 2025.
  • 33% say they take part in no enrichment activity, compared to 43% in 2026.
  • 26% of young people believe good quality gobs in their local area, while 39% disagree.
  • Lack of work experience is the most commonly reported employment barrier, at 57% up from 47% the year before.

Contrary to a lot of the rhetoric around young people not wanting to work, the census results highlight that they do want to work, but the barriers to working are increasing.

Our Chief Regulation and Standards Officer Lisa Morrison said: “The Youth Voice Census shows that high anxiety remains a persistent issue for significant minority of young people and for others there’s falling levels of happiness and life satisfaction. This has been compounded by the realities of everyday life in 2026, including the cost of living, challenging work and educational landscape and a lack of enrichment activities and social connections.

“We hear so often, that young people need to become more employable, more resilient and better able to navigate increasingly complex systems, while the pressures around them continue to grow. We need to recognise the barriers they face and ensure the right support is in place to help turn their ambitions into real opportunities.”

“These results give us vital evidence about the factors that are influencing young people’s mental health and wellbeing in 2026. Hearing the voices of young people is so crucial to help us all understand what needs to be done to address these issues.

“We must also ensure that young people have access to early-intervention mental health support when they need it – including school counselling and easy access hubs which include qualified, registered therapists.”

Read the full Youth Voice Census results and report.