How young people want governments to listen, serve and act
PwC’s 2026 Global Youth Outlook
As young people face growing pressures in education, health, employment and economic opportunity, public leaders are being asked to deliver tangible outcomes that improve lives and strengthen trust. This report explores three leadership priorities: delivering visible impact, ensuring that growth translates into meaningful societal outcomes and building the capability to lead responsible transformation with confidence.
Around the world, young people are playing an increasingly influential role in shaping public policy, economic development and societal change. From climate action and digital transformation to economic opportunities, their priorities are helping to redefine public policy and national agendas.
PwC's 2026 Global Youth Outlook contributes to this dialogue by capturing the views of 5,591 young people, aged between 15 and 30 years, across 42 countries and territories. The report provides a global perspective on how youth assess government priorities, public services and future opportunities, while identifying practical actions to strengthen trust, improve policy outcomes and deepen partnerships. More broadly, it aims to support an ongoing policy dialogue around the role of youth in shaping more responsive, accountable and effective government.
The survey findings point to a fundamental shift in how governments are judged. Young people see them as central to creating opportunity, but confidence increasingly depends on delivery rather than intent. Economic growth remains important, yet it is no longer sufficient on its own. Instead, young people evaluate government performance through outcomes they experience directly: affordable living, quality healthcare, better education and responsive public services. Trust is increasingly earned through improvements in everyday life.
As part of an evolving model of public leadership, young people support digital transformation but want governments to build strong digital foundations before accelerating AI adoption. They see cybersecurity as a core pillar of national resilience, support climate action where it strengthens economic opportunity and quality of life, and favour structured and trusted channels for participating in public decision-making.
In PwC’s Global Youth Outlook 20241, we examined how deeply young people were connected to the Sustainable Development Goals. This report builds on that foundation and takes the conversation global to explore what youth now expect from governments.
These findings suggest that by embedding youth perspectives into policymaking and strengthening accountability, governments have an opportunity to build more inclusive, resilient and future-ready societies.
Rami Nazer
EMEA Government & Public Sector Leader, PwC Middle East
Key findings
- 38% of global youth are confident that governments will create opportunities for them over the next three years
- 64% rank cost of living as their top daily concern, reinforced by job security (44%) and housing affordability (30%)
- 42% believe governments prioritise economic growth
- 38% rank digital skills and literacy as the top digital priority
- 55% prioritise healthcare spending, followed by economic development (30%)
- 36% place clean and renewable energy at the top of the climate agenda
- 43% rank cybersecurity as the leading geopolitical security priority, ahead of territorial security (37%) and military readiness (36%)
- 51% prioritise formal education as the main route for youth participation, followed by online platforms (35%)
How young people want governments to listen, serve and act
PwC’s 2026 Global Youth Outlook
