The latest findings of Young Lives , a unique longitudinal study led by the University of Oxford, highlights how persistent inequalities and global crises are impacting the lives of young people in some of the poorest communities in the world least able to withstand them.
Researchers from the University of Oxford have followed the lives of 12,000 children in Ethiopia, India (Telangana and Andhra Pradesh), Peru, and Vietnam since 2002, informing meaningful policy change to improve the lives of children and young people growing up in poverty. Preliminary findings from the seventh survey round , with the participants now aged 22 and 29, have been released today, and underscore the urgent need for policy action to address the impact of early life inequalities on later education, work and family outcomes.
Ensuring targeted support for disadvantaged groups is critical for building resilience in the face of multiple crises, including COVID-19, climate change, and conflict, and empowering vulnerable young people to fulfil their potential.
Dr Marta Favara, Young Lives Project
Although the Young Lives study found significant improvements in overall living standards in the first 20 years, concerning trends emerged during the pandemic when household poverty and food shortages rose and education was widely disrupted.
Mental health issues also significantly increased, particularly for young people navigating the profound economic and social impacts of the pandemic, alongside the climate crisis and conflict in Ethiopia.
While the latest findings show some recovery post-pandemic in young people's lives, a complex and uneven picture is unfolding, with the compounding effects of COVID-19, climate change and conflict continuing to cast a long shadow.
Dr Marta Favara , Director of Young Lives, said:
'Our seventh survey reveals young people's resilience, with many getting their lives back on track by returning to education or work. However, multiple crises are continuing to have an impact.
'A clear example of this is increasing food insecurity, with many more young people now living in food insecure households than we expected to see. This is almost certainly the result of the pandemic and other shocks, including conflict, drought and floods'.
Key findings from the seventh survey round:
Health and wellbeing: malnutrition and mental health concerns
There is a real risk that underfunded service provisions will struggle to meet increasing demand, leaving many young people vulnerable to long-term chronic mental health conditions.
Dr Marta Favara, Young Lives
Despite improvements in health and nutrition over last two decades, malnutrition remains a significant challenge with widespread food insecurity across all surveyed countries. In Ethiopia, a significant number of young people (23%) are underweight, while in Peru obesity is a rising concern, with over 40% of 22-year-olds classified as overweight or obese.
India faces a double burden of malnutrition, with simultaneously persistent levels of young people being underweight (24%) alongside rising levels of overweight and obesity (21%) associated with an increased risk of non-communicable illnesses, such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
Young people's mental health continues to be impacted by shocks and crises. In Peru the burden of mental health conditions remains significantly high - with women suffering more than men in both Peru and India. In Ethiopia, anxiety has increased significantly among those living in conflict affected regions, and 60% of participants reporting symptoms of a least moderate stress. Increasing mental health issues are of particular concern as adolescence and young adulthood are vulnerable periods for the development of chronic mental health conditions.
'The levels of malnutrition are very worrying', continued Dr Favara, 'Mental health issues are also of great concern, particularly given the incredibly low level of investment in mental health care around the world.
'There is a real risk that underfunded service provisions will struggle to meet increasing demand, leaving many young people vulnerable to long-term chronic mental health conditions'.
Education: progress in access, but persistent barriers remain
Urgent policy action is required to address persistent inequalities to ensure that those from the poorest households, rural areas and certain minority ethnic groups or castes are not left behind.
Dr Marta Favara, Young Lives
Overall, more young people are completing secondary school and going into higher education, with students progressing faster through the school system. However, in Ethiopia, almost three quarters of 22-year-olds had not completed (upper) secondary school, and tertiary education enrolment has significantly declined, with conflict-related disruptions and early-life inequalities contributing to poorer educational outcomes.
In India, secondary school completion has improved, with gender disparities closing. However, young women remain underrepresented in higher education, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds. In Peru, secondary education completion has also improved, becoming almost universal (over 90%), yet inequalities persist, with significant gaps in access to university affecting those from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds.
Dr Favara commented: 'It is very good news that more young people are completing school and going on to higher education, showing a recovery in education since the pandemic. But urgent policy action is required to address persistent inequalities to ensure that those from the poorest households, rural areas and certain minority ethnic groups or castes are not left behind'.
Work and family: low quality jobs and gender gaps
More education does not necessarily translate into better jobs, leaving many young people struggling to meet their aspirations for a better life.
Dr Marta Favara, Young Lives
The majority of young people who are employed across the study countries work in poor-quality, low paid jobs without written contracts, and often working for long hours, demonstrating that improvements in education are not necessarily translating into better jobs. In fact, almost half of young workers are not satisfied with their job. In Ethiopia, the proportion of 22-year-olds who are not in employment, education, or training (NEET) has more than doubled compared to the previous cohort, 7 years ago.
Disadvantages experienced early in life can have long-term impacts on young people's futures, perpetuating these initial inequalities. For example, women from the most disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds in the study are more likely to marry or have children at a young age, and tend to have the lowest educational outcomes. A positive trend in the findings is that although early marriage (before the legal age) and motherhood (before age 20) are still common, particularly in India and Peru, their prevalence has decreased over time.
Dr Favara elaborated: 'More education does not necessarily translate into better jobs, leaving many young people struggling to meet their aspirations for a better life. There is also a persistent gender difference in the distribution of work in each study country, with women less likely to be employed than men. And while women still do significantly more unpaid care work than men, young men are doing more unpaid work than in the past, giving hope for change'.
Policy implications
With five years left to achieve the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, these findings underscore the urgent need for policy action to address structural inequalities and gender disparities in education, food security, mental health care and employment.
Dr Favara commented: 'Ensuring targeted support for disadvantaged groups is critical for building resilience in the face of multiple crises, including COVID-19, climate change, and conflict, and empowering vulnerable young people to fulfil their potential'.
