Young people across Aotearoa are facing growing pressure as rising living costs, job uncertainty, limited access to mental health support, and social pressures continue to affect their wellbeing.
The latest Youthline ASB State of the Generation 2026 report provides new nationally significant insights into the issues that matter most to young New Zealanders. Based on a nationwide survey of people aged 12 to 24, the research was conducted earlier this year.
The report highlights a generation navigating an increasingly complex world, where financial stress, digital pressures, social expectations, and mental health challenges are often interconnected.
Mental health remains the top concern
According to the report, mental health is the most important issue facing young people today, identified by 59% of respondents. However, many young people say the current system is not meeting their needs, with 32% naming a lack of mental health support as their biggest concern.
Long wait times and limited access to services were also identified as significant barriers.
Youthline CEO Shae Ronald says the lack of awareness around available support remains deeply concerning.
“41% of young people were not aware of any mental health support organisations. This lack of awareness of the mental health support that is available is highly concerning given the rising rates of youth mental health distress Aotearoa New Zealand is experiencing.
“Barriers such as location, cost, transport, stigma and a lack of clarity about how to access services, further compound the challenge. Navigating the system can be confusing and overwhelming, particularly for young people and whānau already under stress.”
The report found that while most rangatahi are doing well, a significant number are struggling, particularly those from underserved communities.
Ronald says this mirrors what Youthline sees through its frontline work.
“Māori, Pasifika, Asian, migrant and refugee, rainbow and young people with disabilities are consistently over-represented when it comes to levels of mental health distress and poor mental health outcomes. We know this isn’t because of who people are – it’s because of how they are treated, the barriers they face and how systems respond to them. Being part of these communities doesn’t inherently cause mental health distress, inequity and discrimination do.”
Cost of living and job worries add to stress
The cost of living and the job market were also among the most pressing challenges identified by young people, at 18% and 17% respectively. A lack of job opportunities was viewed as the second most important issue facing young people overall.
Many respondents reported feeling stressed about affording basic needs, including food, bills, and housing. These concerns were especially acute among those aged 18 to 24, who said financial pressure was already affecting their day-to-day lives.
For younger respondents, household financial stress was also a concern. Nearly half of 12 to 17-year-olds said they were worried because their parents or whānau were stressed about money.
Social pressure and the digital world
The report also found that many young people feel intense pressure to appear as though they have their lives together. When asked to describe the most challenging thing about being young today, a quarter said they felt constant pressure from adults, peers, and social media.
“It feels like we’re under constant pressure – from adults, from social media – to have everything figured out,” said one respondent.
Phone addiction, screen time, social media, and online bullying were also major concerns.
While mental health was considered the most important issue overall, two-thirds of young people said phone addiction and screen time were among the most common issues young people face today, followed closely by social media.
Mental health was the next most common issue, followed by bullying. Nearly one in three respondents said bullying can feel inescapable, with some pointing to the always-on nature of online life.
Artificial intelligence is another growing concern. Nearly half of young people surveyed said they were “a little worried about AI”, while one in five said they were “very worried”. Their biggest concerns included uncertainty about what is real and what is not, misinformation, and the possible impact of AI on future job options.
Young people want safer online spaces
Young people also shared ideas for how online spaces could be made safer.
Just over half said social media companies should have stricter safety rules, including removing harmful features and being transparent about how their algorithms work. Many also called for more education in schools about online safety and media skills, stronger safety features in apps, and greater collaboration between governments, schools, technology companies, and young people.
Ronald says any approach to online safety needs to recognise both the risks and the benefits of digital spaces. “It has always been our view that good social media controls will balance out the benefits social media also offers young people – benefits that include young people’s desire to connect, engage and seek help and support from their peers and others, when they need it.”
Young people want to be heard
Although many young people were positive about their own future, the report shows they remain highly aware of the pressures facing them and their peers.
When they need support, most young people turn to parents or carers, followed by friends. However, nearly a quarter use social media to find others going through similar experiences, and one in five talk to AI chatbots.
Ronald says it is encouraging that those most in need of support appear to be accessing more formal mental health help, but Youthline is also seeing significant increases in young people reaching out during moments of crisis.
“At Youthline we have seen a huge increase in young people reaching out to us for support, especially since Covid 19. In the past three months, we hit an all-time high connecting an average of four young people a day with emergency services, compared to one a week only five years ago.”
Above all, Ronald says young people want to feel listened to.
“We hope this State of the Generation report helps share young people’s views and gives them a voice, so we can all work together to help make a difference in the lives of so many young New Zealanders who need us to listen and provide effective, empathetic mental health support when, where and how they need it.”
