New polling of British 18-30 year olds conducted by think tank the Adam Smith Institute shows serious concerns about housing, personal finances, and their future in the UK.
According to the nationally representative survey, over a quarter have seriously considered or are actively planning to leave the country.
Nearly two-thirds of young Britons believe finding affordable housing will become more difficult over the next five years, while half say that most of their peers are struggling financially.
These concerns cut across political divides. Voters from all major parties express similar fears about housing and financial insecurity, signalling a generation-wide erosion of confidence in the UK’s economic future.
This latest data comes amid growing concerns about intergenerational inequality. Sluggish growth, a broken planning system and a sky-high tax burden have left many young people feeling worse off than their parents, unable to build independent lives.
With young people feeling increasingly disenchanted, it is clear that meaningful change is needed to prevent them from joining the UK’s ongoing wealth exodus.
Some of the key findings include:
- 28% are either actively planning (8%) or have seriously considered (20%) emigrating.
- Another 30% have briefly considered it.
- Only 35% say they have never thought about leaving the UK.
- 65% believe it will become more difficult to find affordable housing in the next five years.
- 38% say “much more difficult,” 27% “somewhat more difficult”.
- Just 21% think it will get easier.
- 63% of young Conservatives, 65% of Labour, and 68% of Reform UK voters say housing access will worsen.
- 50% say most people their age struggle to make ends meet.
- 43% say some do and only 5% think most do not struggle.
- Again, there is broad consensus across parties with 54% of Conservative, 50% of Labour voters and 49% of Reform UK saying most struggle.
“The youngest generation of British workers is sending a clear message. They feel overtaxed, underhoused and undervalued. If our political class continues to ignore these warning signs, we risk exporting our talent at precisely the moment when it is most needed,” said Emma Schubart, Data & Insights Manager at the Adam Smith Institute.
“With the country already facing a wealth exodus thanks, in large part, to its reckless decision to scrap the non-dom tax regime, the Treasury can hardly afford to lose an entire generation of ambitious young people as well. Addressing these challenges is not just a matter of fairness – it is essential to securing Britain’s long-term economic and social future,” she said.
Leave a Reply