Who are today’s 14–24-year-olds?

The 8.6 million[ref] 8,646,290 people aged 14–24 in the UK. Based on census, age by single year data (Census 2021 for England and Wales, Office for National Statistics; Census 2022 for Scotland, National Records of Scotland; Census 2021 for Northern Ireland, Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency). In the data which follows we use UK data where readily available, but in some cases the focus on England or England and Wales.[/ref] 14–24-year-olds living in the UK today are part of a larger generation sometimes referred to as Gen Z (Generation Z). Figure 1 shows where our cohort of 14–24-year-olds sits within the post-war generations in England and Wales.

Figure 1: Where today’s 14–24-year-olds sit among the generations, by year of birth (Live births, England and Wales, 1945–2022)[ref]Office for National Statistics (2024). Births in England and Wales: summary tables [online]. Available from: www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/livebirths/datasets/birthsummarytables [Accessed 18 October 2024].[/ref], [ref] There are no agreed definitions for when each of the five post-war generations begins and ends. The age bounds used here are those of Ipsos, as presented in Clemence, M. (2023). Generation Z – do they exist and what influences them? [online]. Ipsos. Available from: https://www.ipsos.com/en-uk/generation-z-do-they-exist-and-what-influences-them [/ref]

Link to full description of data.

Efforts to neatly define Gen Z’s experiences, behaviours and values risk promoting lazy stereotypes or overlooking the complexity and diversity in young people’s lives today.

Nevertheless, there are some compelling reasons to believe Gen Z’s journeys to adulthood might be distinct from previous generations, including:

1. Digital and online lives: Gen Z is the first generation to be entirely born in the digital age[ref]Lucas, O., Moller Vallgarda, L., and Steen, B. (2024). Society Watch 2024: Understanding the new generation of voters. National Centre for Social Research.[/ref], with 9 in 10 young people now owning a mobile phone by the age of 11[ref]Office of Communications (Ofcom) (2024). Children and parents: media use and attitudes report 2024 [online]. Available from: www.ofcom.org.uk/media-use-and-attitudes/media-habits-children/children-and-parents-media-use-and-attitudes-report-2024/[/ref] and almost all (98%) 16–24-year-olds owning a smartphone[ref]Uswitch (updated Feb 2024). UK Mobile Phone Statistics 2024 – Stats Report. Uswitch. Available from: https://www.uswitch.com/mobiles/studies/mobile-statistics/#top-10-uk-mobile-phone-statistics-2023 [Accessed 10 April 2025].[/ref]. This aspect of the Gen Z experience and its effects on the cohort has prompted widespread social commentary and academic interest[ref]See, for example: Haidt, J. (2024). The Anxious Generation: How the great rewiring of childhood is causing an epidemic of mental illness. Penguin Press[/ref]. There has been considerable public concern about the potential impact of social media use on young people’s mental health, but less focus on the opportunities offered by digital technology, for example, in relation to new learning tools and ways of generating income.
2. Mental health and emotional well-being: The number of young people reporting mental health difficulties has increased significantly in recent years[ref] Whether the increases in reporting reflect real changes in the rates of mental disorder among young people is contested, with some analysts suggesting the increased rates are being driven by a greater willingness of young people to identify as having a mental disorder. [/ref]. For example, the number of young people aged 17–19 who have had problems with their mental health to such an extent that it impacted their daily lives more than doubled between 2017 and 2023 so that more than 1 in 7 (15.4%) now have what is defined as a ‘probable’ mental disorder [ref]NHS Digital (2023). Mental Health of Children and Young People in England, 2023 – wave 4 follow up to the 2017 survey [online]. Available from: https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/mental-health-of-children-and-young-people-in-england/2023-wave-4-follow-up. The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) (http://www.sdqinfo.org/) was used to identify children who may have had problems with aspects of their mental health to such an extent that it impacted on their daily lives. Responses from parents, children and young people were used to estimate the likelihood that a child or young person might have a mental disorder; this was classified as either ‘unlikely’, ‘possible’ or ‘probable’. [/ref].
3. COVID-19: While all of us have been affected by COVID-19, the cohort that is the focus of Grown up? was aged between 10 and 20 at the height of the pandemic, and so experienced significant disruptions during their transitions through education, into work and to greater independence. There is growing evidence of detrimental impacts on children’s social and emotional development[ref]Cattan, S. et al. (2023). How did parents’ experiences in the labour market shape children’s social and emotional development during the pandemic? Institute for Fiscal Studies. Available from: https://www.nuffieldfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Final-Parents-experience-of-labour-market-IFS-Report.pdf. Research funded by the Nuffield Foundation.[/ref], lost learning[ref]Sharp, C., and Skipp, A. (2022). The impact of COVID-19 on mainstream schools in England. Nuffield Foundation. Available at: https://www.nuffieldfoundation.org/project/impact-of-covid-19-mainstream-schools-england. Research funded by the Nuffield Foundation.[/ref], young people’s mental health[ref]Fancourt, D., Steptoe, A., and Bradbury, A. (2022). Tracking the Psychological and Social Consequences of the COVID-19 Pandemic across the UK Population: Findings, Impact, and Recommendations from the COVID-19 Social Study (March 2020 – April 2022). University College London. Research funded by the Nuffield Foundation.[/ref] and high levels of school absence[ref]Nuffield Foundation (2024). The impact of school absence, school closer and learning loss: What can be done? Available at: https://www.nuffieldfoundation.org/events/the-impact-of-school-absence [Accessed 10 April 2025].[/ref]. There are fears the pandemic has led to the long-term ‘scarring’ of young people and that they may become a ‘lost’ generation[ref]Day, L., et al. (2020). To Lockdown and Back. Young people’s lived experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic. Ecorys, University of Huddersfield. Available from: www.nuffieldfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/To-Lockdown-and-Back-Research-Report-FINAL.pdf. Research funded by the Nuffield Foundation.[/ref],[ref]The Guardian (n.d.). The Covid generation [online]. Available from: www.theguardian.com/uk-news/series/the-covid-generation.[/ref] .
4. Smoking, drinking, teenage pregnancies and youth crime are on the decline[ref] Ball, J., et al. (2023).Ibid. Recent figures show a stall in the rapid rise in vaping for 16–24-year-olds, Rapid rise in vaping in Britain has stalled | UCL News – UCL – University College London. Available from: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2025/apr/rapid-rise-vaping-britain-has-stalled [Accessed 17 April 2025][/ref]: Between 2000 and 2021, the proportion of 16–24-year-olds who smoked declined from 32% to 13%, and the number who drank more than three units of alcohol fell from 41% to 22%. Rates of conception in women under 18 have also plummeted from 44 per 1,000 in 2000 to 13 per 1,000 in 2021[ref] Behavioural Insights Team (2024). Gen Z teens are taking far fewer risks. Available from: https://www.bi.team/blogs/gen-z-teens-are-taking-far-fewer-risks/ [Accessed 13 March 2025].[/ref]. Finally, though hard to measure precisely, multiple data sources point to a substantive decrease in youth crime rates between 2000 and 2019[ref]Bateman, T. (2020). The state of youth justice 2020: An overview of trends and developments. National Association for Youth Justice. Available from: https://uobrep.openrepository.com/bitstream/handle/10547/624525/Stateofyouthjustice2020finalsept.pdf [Accessed 13 March 2025].[/ref],[ref]Youth Justice Statistics: 2023 to 2024 (Youth Justice Board. 2025. Available from: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/youth-justice-statistics-2023-to-2024/youth-justice-statistics-2023-to-2024#proven-offences-by-children [Accessed 9 April 2025] shows that while there has been an overall decline in the number of proven offences committed by children compared with 10 years ago, ‘violence against the person’ offences increased as a proportion of the total. [/ref]. This is positive progress, but new potential sources of harm are also emerging – for example, the prevalence of vaping[ref]Ball, J., et al. (2023). The great decline in adolescent risk behaviours: Unitary trend, separate trends, or cascade? This explores international data and the possible explanations for these changes. Social Science and Medicine 317, 115616. Available at: https://researchonline.gcu.ac.uk/ws/portalfiles/portal/77085419/77080161.pdf.[/ref] and sexting[ref]ESET (2024). ESET UK Research reveals teenage sexting epidemic. https://www.eset.com/uk/about/newsroom/press-releases/eset-uk-think-twice-sexting-epidemic/ [Accessed 9 April 2025].[/ref].