Monash Uni survey reveals young Australians are increasingly pessimistic about their future
A major new university study of young Aussies reveals many haven’t just lost hope of owning a home – they doubt they can even afford moving into a share house.
Four in five young Australians aged 18 to 24 think they’re going to be worse off financially than their parents, a new annual snapshot has revealed.
Findings from the Monash University 2025 Australian Youth Barometer survey paint a dire picture of life for young Australians, who face soaring financial pressures, an uncertain future, unaffordable housing and financial insecurity.
Nearly 60 per cent say they won’t be able to buy a house and half don’t think they are likely to have a child, the results of the survey of more than 500 young people show.
The survey’s lead author, Professor Lucas Walsh, said it’s time for policymakers to listen to young people’s needs as their share of the vote continues to grow.
Cost of living emerged as the top concern for young Australians, as 85 per cent reported financial insecurity in the past year and less than half were confident they would ever achieve financial security.
RMIT students Zoe Taylor and Max Rodd, both 18, agree that financial independence feels out of reach.
“I definitely don’t have the funds to move out – it’s not even in the near future for me,” said Ms Taylor.
“My parents moved out when they were 17 and 18 so it’s a lot harder now,” Mr Rodd agreed.
“I’ve applied for jobs on Seek and Indeed every day and so far I’ve only gotten one interview back.”
Unemployment (44 per cent) and underemployment (60 per cent) were also rife among survey respondents and one in four rated their mental health as poor or very poor.
Concerningly, nearly half of respondents (46 per cent) said they felt like they were “missing out on being young”.
In 2022, about half of young Australians thought they would be financially worse off than their parents. In 2025 the figure is now 79 per cent.
This year’s survey shows young people are losing faith in Australia’s climate action, with 10 per cent fewer young people confident climate change will be brought under control, down from 34 per cent in 2024.
Professor Walsh said the findings should be a wake-up call to policymakers.
He said a number of “tailored solutions” were possible.
These include providing financial and mental health education and support, and subsidising rising youth living costs like transport and study-related expenses.
“With young people now making up a historically large share of voters around the country, governments around Australia cannot afford to ignore their pressing concerns,” Prof Walsh said.
“In a cost-of-living crisis, short term policy debt reductions are welcome, such as lowering student debts like HELP and VET student loans.
“But rising costs of living mean that young people need additional support now, combined with major tax reform to ensure that they have affordable places to live in the future.”
Surf instructor and student Stella Huxtable, 18, said the housing market in her hometown of Geelong felt completely out of reach.
“I’m from down Geelong way and houses there are averaging like $700,000 to $900,000,” she said. “It’s obviously going to be a lot more difficult than when our parents were around ... if I left home, I’d be broke in minutes.”
RMIT student Maya Malavisi said she’s always dreamed of moving out with friends, but the housing crisis has made that near impossible.
“I think everything is definitely more expensive nowadays,” she said. “The housing crisis is terrible. I had a plan that I’d live by myself for a year and then move in with friends, but that’s not going to happen because getting a job here is so hard.”
FAST FACTS: WHAT YOUNG AUSTRALIANS SAY
● 85 per cent experienced financial insecurity in the past year, and 26 per cent reported it happened often.
● 79 per cent think they will be financially worse off than their parents.
● 46 per cent think they are likely to achieve financial security in the future.
● 43 per cent can often save part of their income.
● 42 per cent think it is likely they will be able to buy a house.
● 18 per cent experienced food insecurity in the past year, most often due to a lack of money.
● 44 per cent experienced unemployment in the past year, while 60 per cent experienced underemployment.
● 26 per cent rated their mental health as poor or very poor and 41 per cent rated it as good or excellent.
● 50 per cent think they are likely to have a child.
● 65 per cent think gender does not determine who washes the dishes, 64 per cent think it does not determine who organises household money, and 64 per cent think it does not determine who teaches children discipline. But 53 per cent think household repairs are dependent on gender.
● 70 per cent think gender relationships have become more equal (compared with their parents’ generation) at work, while 68 per cent think they have become more equal at home, and 66 per cent think they have become more equal in education contexts.
● 82 per cent think housing affordability needs immediate action, while 64 per cent pointed to employment opportunities and 44 per cent pointed to climate change.
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