Generation Z: Global Citizenship Survey

The Varkey Foundation commissioned Populus to carry out research on a global scale into the attitudes of 15- to 21-year-olds on a variety of ethical, personal, community and political issues. We chose twenty countries to poll: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Nigeria, Russia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, the UK and the US. We chose a range of countries that would give a geographic spread, include some of most populous nations, and would also include those that have particular political significance – as rising powers and/or countries that are important in global geopolitics and cultural influence.
The first part of the survey asked about young people’s wellbeing, hopes and ambitions – from their relationships and future careers, to their physical and mental health.. The second part focused on their personal, community and religious values – from their attitudes towards abortion, same sex marriage and transgender rights, to the importance of religion in their lives and whether they feel equipped to contribute to their own community. Finally, it covered issues of global citizenship – attitudes towards migrants, the factors that make young people hopeful and fearful for the future, and their views on whether the world is becoming a better or worse place. 
This is the first time that there has been an international comparative study of the attitudes of young people on these matters. Not only  have we asked them how they feel, what their attitudes are, and who influenced them: we have also reflected on what differences and similarities there may be in terms of their wellbeing, fears, hopes and views across the world.
With this survey, we do not aim to document the events that loomed large in young people’s lives or the social forces that have shaped their emotions and opinions. That is a huge subject for expert analysis. Rather, we wanted to hold up a mirror to Generation Z and simply record the reflection that they give us – providing some illumination to help us all understand them better.