What do young Europeans actually want? We asked 2360 of them

Last updated on Monday, 18/05/2026

Jobs. Housing. Mental health. Belonging. Young people across Europe are speaking up, and the EYCA Youth Panel made sure someone was listening.

What keeps young people awake at night? What does it feel like to grow up in a Europe that moves faster than it listens, where opportunity and uncertainty live side by side? What kind of future do young people actually want by 2030?

These are the questions behind "Your Voice, Our 2030", a campaign led by the EYCA Youth Panel, a group of young European Youth Cardholders from across the continent, embedded within the European Youth Card Association (EYCA), working to ensure youth voices shape real decisions. Over 2360 young people from 56 countries contributed, offering an honest and personal picture of what it means to be young in Europe today.

Rather than relying on statistics alone, the campaign put storytelling first, inviting young people to speak openly through an online form shared with schools, youth networks and communities, and through in-person discussions led by Youth Panel members. Findings were then amplified by EYCA’s Young Creators, a network of young content creators translating these stories into relatable content across social media.

Reading these stories revealed:

• clear patterns such as difficulties entering the job market, financial pressure, rising living costs and housing affordability as a key barrier to independence. 
• uncertainty about life direction, mental health and meaningful social connections. 
• real emotional weight brought by adulthood, with stress, anxiety and persistent uncertainty shaped by a broader economic instability. 
• Erasmus+ and similar experiences stand out as genuinely empowering, fostering growth, confidence, and belonging.

These concerns map a shared generational experience across Europe. Young people are navigating adulthood through overlapping pressures; yet they remain engaged, vocal and ready to shape what comes next.