Young people’s life satisfaction in free fall, IPPR finds

24 Jul 2026 12:54 PM

New analysis by IPPR finds that life satisfaction among young people in England has been in steady decline since 2010, while instances of bullying and not feeling a sense of belonging are far higher than OECD peers

The proportion of young people who are satisfied with their lives has fallen from 62 per cent in 2010 to 44 per cent today among 16- to 24-year-olds living in England.

In England’s most deprived areas, the number of young people who are satisfied with life has fallen from over half (55.9 per cent) to just a third (34.7 per cent).

IPPR says the findings are evidence of a wider crisis in young people’s wellbeing, in which childhood and adolescence increasingly feel isolating, pressured and unforgiving.

Pupils in England are also substantially more likely to be regularly mocked than children in comparable countries. Around one in five 15-year-olds in England report being made fun of by other pupils at least a few times a month, compared with an OECD average of 12 per cent. English pupils also report greater exposure to bullying overall than their counterparts across OECD countries.

At the same time, just 63 per cent of pupils in England say they feel they belong at their school, well below the OECD average of 75 per cent. Pupils who feel that they belong also perform substantially better academically: their average mathematics score was 32 points higher than that of pupils who did not.

Pressure at school is also intensifying. The proportion of children who say they are very or quite worried about their exams has risen from 28 per cent in 2019 to 43 per cent in 2025. Young people taking part in IPPR workshops described GCSE decisions as feeling like “a life-or-death situation” and said they were expected to make choices that could determine the rest of their lives.

IPPR argues that ministers must treat children’s sense of belonging as central to both educational success and wellbeing. This should include ensuring young people have trusted adults to turn to, rebuilding access to youth clubs and affordable extracurricular activities, and reducing the sense that every decision or setback will permanently determine their future.

IPPR has launched an ambitious programme of work to provide new analysis of how young people are faring today and provide ambitious policies to fix the crisis. A State of a Generation will publish its first full report in Autumn 2026.

Conor Carleton, children and young people expert at IPPR, said:

"Life satisfaction and belonging have fallen off a cliff for young people in England. Fewer and fewer feel safe, supported or connected to the people and places around them — and fewer still are getting to enjoy being young in the first place.

"This is not a minor wobble. It reflects a wider shift in which growing up in England has become more pressured, more isolating and less enjoyable than it was even a decade ago.

"Young people feel they have only one chance to succeed, but too few trusted people or places to support them when things go wrong. Ministers must put belonging at the heart of their plans for children, from the culture inside schools to the restoration of youth clubs, sports, arts and other spaces where young people can build relationships and enjoy being young."

Conor Carleton is available for interview

CONTACT

Liam Evans, head of news and media: 07419 365 334 l.evans@ippr.org  

NOTES TO EDITORS