The analysis which has been conducted by the ONS uses data from Understanding Society.
Main findings
- Almost three-quarters of young women aged 16 to 24 years in England and Wales reported feeling fairly or very safe walking alone in their area after dark in April 2019 to March 2020 (74%), an increase of 16 percentage points compared with five years previously (58%); despite these gains, young men of this age continued to more frequently report feeling safe in these circumstances than young women in April 2019 to March 2020 (86% compared to 74%).
- Several measures of personal well-being of young women aged 20 to 24 years in the UK have declined in March 2020 from five years previously; there was a fall in the percentage of young women in this age group reporting very high life satisfaction and happiness, and very low anxiety.
- There is evidence of increasing anxiety and depression among young women aged 16 to 24 years in the UK, with nearly one-third (31%) reporting some evidence of depression or anxiety in 2017 to 2018; this is an increase from the previous year (26%) and the same period five years earlier (26%).
- There was a decline in young people’s satisfaction with their health in the UK, with about half (52%) of those aged 16 to 24 years saying they were mostly or completely satisfied with their health in 2017 to 2018 compared with 59% in the previous year.
- An increasing proportion of young people aged 16 to 24 years in the UK reported that they were finding it difficult or very difficult to get by financially, with 9% saying this in 2017 to 2018, compared with 6% the previous year; in particular the increase was significant among young men of this age.
- Young people aged 16 to 24 years in the UK may also be feeling more disconnected from their communities, with a decrease in those agreeing or strongly agreeing that they felt a sense of belonging to their neighbourhood between 2014 to 2015 (57%) and 2017 to 2018 (48%).
Eleanor Rees, Head of the Social Well-being Team, Office for National Statistics said, “The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on young people’s mental health and well-being is naturally a focus for many at present and something that the ONS is also exploring. The research we have published today gives a pre-pandemic perspective, making it a useful starting point to understand what has changed since. What we noted in particular were adverse effects on well-being and anxiety for women aged 20 to 24 years compared to five years ago.”
