Politically engaged – but ‘very much’ worried about buying a home: study reveals young Australians’ anxieties

Almost three-quarters of young Australians are concerned about being able to afford a house, the Growing Up in Australia study found. Photograph: Nick Gregory/Alamy View image in fullscreen Almost three-quarters of young Australians are concerned about being able to afford a house, the Growing Up in Australia study found. Photograph: Nick Gregory/Alamy Politically engaged – but ‘very much’ worried about buying a home: study reveals young Australians’ anxieties Growing Up in Australia report shows gen Z are more anxious about housing affordability than climate change or following a chosen career path Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Far more young people are worried about being able to buy a home than about climate change or finding a job in their chosen field, according to a study that also reveals gen Z’s deep distrust of politicians, political parties and the media. The latest insights from a major longitudinal study show high levels of participation in the political debate, challenging stereotypes that younger Australians are disengaged from public life. The federal government-run Growing Up in Australia study has tracked roughly 10,000 children and their families from across the country since 2004, surveying them every two years as they moved through childhood, adolescence and adulthood. The two groups in the cohort are now aged 19-20 years old and 23-24 years old, entering and navigating early adulthood at a time of major social and economic upheaval and a worsening climate crisis. Graph showing percentage of young people aged 19–20 and 23–24 years in 2023–24 who were ‘quite a bit’ or ‘very much’ concerned about social, economic and environmental issues The latest survey results, published on Wednesday by the Australian Institute of Family Studies, focus on civic engagement and politics, revealing housing affordability was clearly the most common source of anxiety when it came to social, economic and environment issues. Almost three-quarters of the 4,168 respondents reported they felt “quite a bit” or “very concerned” about being able to afford to buy a home. The next most common response was global economic problems (42%) and climate change (41%). Just under 40% were worried about finding a job in their chosen field. Sign up for the Breaking News Australia email It was the first time the cohort was specifically asked about civic engagement and politics, meaning it was not possible to compare how their views might have shifted over time. The questions will, however, be an ongoing feature of future surveys. The scale of anxiety about housing affordability would appear to validate the Albanese government’s decision to wind back property investor tax concessions in an attempt to help more young people break into the property market. Graph showing young people trust politicians the least, scientists and hospitals the most Anthony Albanese and Jim Chalmers also framed the changes as necessary to build trust and address