Introduction
The August 2026 WIN Worldviews Survey, based on more than 45,000 people across 45 countries and released on the Youth International Day, explores how young people aged 18–24 perceive their opportunities, future and prospects.
The findings reveal a striking paradox: young people are the most optimistic age group about their personal future, yet less convinced than older generations that they have greater opportunities than their parents.
Globally, 47% believe their generation has more opportunities than their parents, compared with 28% who believe they have fewer. However, optimism varies sharply across countries, with pessimism outweighing optimism in 17 of the 45 countries surveyed.
63% of young people remain hopeful about their future, making them the most optimistic age group in the study. Yet this optimism is not equally shared: 67% of young men are hopeful, compared with 59% of young women.
Home ownership is another source of concern. While 56% of young people who do not yet own a home believe they will eventually be able to, 27% do not think they will ever be able to afford one. This figure rises to 58% in both South Korea and the United States.
Finally, 66% would consider moving abroad for better opportunities, compared with just 27% who would not consider emigrating.
Overall, the study portrays a generation that remains hopeful about its own future, while taking a more cautious view of social and economic progress.
Discover the full findings and explore the data across 45 countries in the complete report and press release.
Only one country from Africa and two from the MENA region took part in the survey, which should be considered when interpreting regional patterns.
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