Rising cost of living sees basic needs become ‘aspirational’ for young people

12 May 2023

‘Having enough money to cover basic needs’ (89%) is the most common aspiration among young people today, above ‘achieving their dream job’ and ‘buying a house’
A third (35%) of young people say their family has used food support in the last six months, while a quarter (23%) have started the day without a meal
Two fifths (41%) of young people have worried about their mental wellbeing in the last six months, while 42% worry about how their parents/carers are coping with the cost of living
Despite a challenging few years, the number of young people wanting to make a difference to society has increased
Co-op and Barnardo’s are bringing communities together to create a fairer world for young people and raise £5 million to support 750,000 young people in achieving their life goals
Co-op launches Youth Opportunities Tracker: Fairer Futures (available here)

12 May 2023 – Basic needs, such as having enough money to pay for food, have become aspirational for many young people, with one in three (35%) accessing food support* in the last six months, a major new study by the Co-op and children’s charity Barnardo’s has found.

One of the largest studies of its kind, ‘Youth Opportunities Tracker: Fairer Futures’, looked at the experiences, life chances and aspirations of over 5,000 10–25-year-olds across the UK, and how they have changed since 20212. Despite the government’s ambitions to improve opportunities and outcomes through its levelling up agenda, the study uncovered the stark impact that the rising cost of living is having on young people’s access to food, mental wellbeing, and opportunities for the future.

Basic needs become aspirational

In the last six months, almost half (46%) of young people have worried about being able to afford things, with one in three (35%) saying their family has used food support, such as a community fridge or food bank. Almost a quarter (23%) say they have started the day without a meal.

The study also found that the rising cost of living is having a significant knock-on impact on young people’s life goals, as making it through day-to-day takes priority. Having enough money to cover basic needs has become the most common aspiration for 9 in 10 (89%) of young people, overtaking other traditional goals such as ‘achieving their dream job’ (85%) or ‘buying a house’ (83%).

Worryingly, only three-quarters (76%) think it is likely they will be able to have enough money to cover basic needs in the future.

Corrine Cunningham, 23 from Glasgow, says: "As a young person, I’ve faced a number of challenges similar to many people my age and was lucky to be able to get support through Barnardo’s. Now, I work with young parents and families every day, and more than ever before I'm seeing them struggling to put food on the table. They tell me that they often don’t know where their next meal is going to come from and that they are skipping meals to feed their children. Having to live like this, from one day to the next, can have a huge impact on people’s mental health. The young people I work with want better support so they can have stability."

Mental wellbeing remains a key concern

Long term concerns about the impact of the rising cost of living on young people’s wellbeing cannot be overlooked. Two in five (41%) young people said they have worried about their own mental wellbeing in the last six months, with a similar number (42%) admitting to worrying about how their parents/carers are coping with the cost of living.

Young people experiencing problems with mental wellbeing were found to be much more prominent amongst young people from lower socio-economic backgrounds, with 39% of DE social grade experiencing problems with mental wellbeing in the last six months, compared with 37% C2, 40% C1 and 29% AB.

Challenging environment inspires action

Emerging from a challenging few years, where young people have faced the impact of Covid and the rising cost of living, many now want to create a better future for themselves and society. Over half (56%) said they want to work and volunteer in something that makes a difference to society, a rise of 4% from 2021**, showing that young people have become increasingly socially engaged and community minded in response to the cost of living.

To create a fairer world for young people, Co-op and Barnardo’s, the UK’s largest children’s charity, are bringing communities together to raise £5 million to support 750,000 young people to prioritise immediate needs but also achieve long term goals.

Co-op has ensured that young people’s voices are heard within the partnership by creating a Youth Advisory Group that will advise on all aspects of the partnership – developing support with young people for young people.

Shirine Khoury-Haq, CEO of Co-op Group says: “The cost of living has had a seismic impact on young people, with many having to prioritise immediate needs like where their next meal will come from, over long-term goals and aspirations.

“Remarkably, despite all of this, young people continue to show resilience and ambition to create a better future. But all too often they are cut out of important discussions and policy making decisions that directly impacts them. We know that taking a grassroots approach and giving young people a voice on the issues which affect them will drive better long-term outcomes for them and their communities.

“That’s why we’ve partnered with Barnardo’s to raise £5m to support 750,000 young people in communities across the UK, working with young people to identify the problems they face and co-create solutions. But the solutions go beyond just us. We are calling on Government and businesses to put young people’s valuable perspectives right at the heart of policy making and business decisions. Only in doing that, can we create a fairer future for young people.”

Lynn Perry MBE, CEO of Barnardo’s says: “We know from our frontline work supporting children and families across the UK that too many are struggling to access the very basics, including food, and there’s an increasing impact on their mental wellbeing and opportunities. Worryingly, our new research with Co-op shows that young people seem to be losing hope and do not feel optimistic about their futures.

“It’s vital that we act now to make sure children and young people are safe, happy, and healthy. That’s why we’re working closely with Co-op to raise vital funds to help us support thousands more young people who need us most, as well as providing opportunities for young people to make their voices heard and drive positive change in their communities and across the country.”

‘The Youth Opportunity Tracker’ and Co-op’s partnership with Barnardo’s builds on Co-op’s ongoing work with young people including through its youth-led programmes and Youth Advisory Board, its work with the Peer Action Collective (PAC), and Co-op Academies Trust.

To find out more and ways to help fundraise, visit coop.co.uk/SupportYoungPeople

ENDS

Notes to editors

Full infographic of the Co-op Youth Opportunities Tracker is available here.

About the research: ICM interviewed a nationally representative sample of 5,001 10–25-year-olds across the UK via an online survey between 17 March and 31 March 2023. Participants aged 10–15 (and some aged 16–17) were recruited through their parents; both participants and parents gave their consent to take part in the survey. Unless otherwise stated, all differences between demographic groups are statistically significant. Any differences which are labelled significant have been tested at the 95 per cent confidence level. The research was conducted in accordance with ISO 20252 and ISO 27001, the international standards for market research and information security management.

*Food support refers to food banks, community kitchens and community fridges

*‘Differences between 2021 and 2023 surveys show the net increase over time. This shows the percentage increase between 2021 and 2023 as a proportion of those who answered this way in 2021, rather than the absolute percentage point difference. For example, a shift from 50% to 52% is a 2 percentage point increase in absolute terms, while the net increase is 4% as a proportion of those who answered this way in the first instance.’

About Co-op: Co-op is one of the world’s largest consumer co-operatives with interests across food, funerals, insurance and legal services. Owned by millions of UK consumers, the Co-op operates over 2,500 food stores, over 800 funeral homes and provides products to over 5,000 other stores, including those run by independent co-operative societies and through its wholesale business, Nisa Retail Limited.

Employing almost 60,000 people, the Co-op has an annual turnover of over £11billion and is a recognised leader for its social goals and community-led programmes. The Co-op exists to meet members’ needs and stand up for the things they believe in.

Over the last two years Co-op has invested in extensive research including Ghosted Generation 2021 and Unfairy Tales 2022 to understand the attitudes, life chances and aspirations of young people.

About Barnardo’s: Last year Barnardo’s provided essential support to over 357,000 children, young people, parents and carers through more than 790 services. We provide vital support to the children and families who need us most, to help with a range of issues including mental health, child sexual abuse and children in care. We listen to children and young people and work to bring about positive change so that they can have a brighter future. Visit www.barnardos.org.uk to find out more.