MELBOURNE, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- Young Australians are living in a "polycrisis" of overlapping economic, environmental, political, social and technological emergencies, according to a five-year analysis.
The report tracked their experiences in education, work, wellbeing, relationships and civic participation, and found that affordable housing, employment opportunities and climate change were the top three issues requiring immediate action, according to a statement released recently by Australia's Monash University.
The proportion citing affordable housing rose from 60 percent in 2022 to 82 percent in 2025, while employment opportunities for young people increased from 48 percent to 64 percent, said the Australian Youth Barometer (2021-2025) report released by the Monash Center for Youth Policy and Education Practice.
The comprehensive national study, which has been conducted every year since 2021, examined the views of more than 2,700 young Australians aged 18 to 24.
The report found that 99 percent of young Australians reported at least one feeling of anxiety or pessimism in 2025.
Financial difficulties affected between 82 percent and 90 percent of young people to some extent each year from 2021 to 2025, while confidence in being able to buy a property decreased, it showed.
"Young people are growing up in a polycrisis. They face existential challenges on a variety of fronts," said Prof. Lucas Walsh, director of the center and lead author of the report. ■