Designed in collaboration with the Office for Youth's Youth Steering Committee, the survey aims to understand what issues are most important to young people and identifies opportunities to improve how young people are included in government decision-making.
The survey is a commitment of the Australian Government's youth engagement strategy, Engage! This strategy outlines the ongoing commitment to value young people's experiences and contributions in the decision-making process and how the Australian Government will action this.
Key findings include:
- 98% of young people think it's important the Australian Government considers their views when making decisions
- 73% of young people want to hear about what the Australian Government is doing for them through social media; 35% said the news and 28% youth organisations, events or posters in community spaces, and
- 47% of young people listed cost of living as a top issue, followed by mental health (28%), climate change (23%), housing affordability (22%) and education and training (19%).
Jet from the Youth Steering Committee said,
"It is clear there are a lot of passionate young people all around Australia who really want to contribute to change."
The Minister for Youth, the Hon Senator Dr Jess Walsh, launched the summary report at today's National Youth Forum, a place for young people to share their ideas and provide feedback to the people who make the big decisions on policies and programs that affect them.
The Minister acknowledged the importance of young people being involved in government policies and programs in her speech at the forum. The Minister said,
"Your contributions matter because you aren't just policy recipients. You are policy shapers. You are agents of change."
Findings from within the 2025 National Youth Survey summary report informed the topics at today's forum, including mental health, climate change, and the arts. The Minister spoke on the importance of hearing from young people about these issues, reflecting:
"Only you have your unique voice. And we want to hear it. There is so much experience and potential in this room. I look forward to seeing the solutions you come up with."
The Office for Youth sits within the Department of Education.
