Press Story

Life satisfaction among 16- to 24-year-olds been tumbling since 2010, new analysis finds
Pupils in England more likely to be mocked and less likely to feel they belong, compared to OECD peers

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."

ENDS

Conor Carleton is available for interview

CONTACT

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

NOTES TO EDITORS

Advance copies of the report are available under embargo on request
New analysis on life satisfaction conducted by IPPR uses the Understanding Society Dataset between 2010-12 to 2023-25, a UK Household Longitudinal survey. Our data applies to England only and those aged 16 to 24.
Data on bullying and belonging is available in the Department for Education’s national report on PISA: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pisa-2022-national-report-for-england
Data on exam stress is taking from The Good Child Research programme: https://www.childrenssociety.org.uk/sites/default/files/2026-02/How%20Has%20Children%E2%80%99s%20Wellbeing%20Changed.pdf
IPPR conducted in-depth qualitative workshops with children and young people from across England. Participants were aged 14-25. IPPR also conducted two qualitative workshops with parents of children and young people with profound disabilities. The total number of workshop participants was 176 people.
The IPPR State of a Generation review is a programme of work designed to see the world through the eyes of young people and develop a holistic policy programme that responds to the challenges they face. The review is supported by McDonald's, Youth Futures Foundation and Big Change.
IPPR (the Institute for Public Policy Research) is the UK’s most influential think tank, with alumni in Downing Street, the cabinet and parliament. We are the practical ideas factory behind many of the current government’s flagship policies, including changes to fiscal rules, the creation of a National Wealth Fund, GB Energy, devolution, and reforms to the NHS. As an independent charity working towards a fairer, greener, and more prosperous society, we have spent almost 40 years creating tangible progressive change - turning bold ideas into common sense realities. www.ippr.org