The annual survey by Injep (National Institute for Youth and Popular Education) and Crédoc (Research Center for the Study and Observation of Living Conditions) points to a “renewed optimism linked to the resumption of the labor market and the return to normal life”.
The year 2022 is characterized by a more positive state of mind than in 2021 (48% of young people questioned use a positive lexical register, 2 points) and above all a clear “decrease in negative expressions”: 33% of those questioned claim to be in a negative mood in 2022, up from 45% last year. 19% declare themselves “neutral”, which translates, according to the study, “a form of wait-and-see attitude linked to a context of successive crises”.
Another sign of improvement in the morale of young people, 66% of 18-30 year olds say they are “confident in their personal future for the next three years”. An increase of 6 points compared to last year.
The study also notes a strengthening of the commitment of young people, in the context of an election year. The volunteer participation of 18-30 year olds has notably reached its highest level since 2016, with 21% of young people who say they give a few hours of their time, every week, to NGOs, political parties, or other organizations.
However, young women are not regaining their pre-crisis morale, and have been more affected than young men by the psychological consequences of the pandemic, according to the study.
In 2022, 41% of young women surveyed say they are in a “positive state of mind”, 6 points less than in 2020, compared to 57% of young men, 1 point less than in 2020.
The study also notes the “persistence of a feeling of loneliness”: “36% of young people feel lonely from time to time”, an increase of 5 points compared to the pre-pandemic period.
The survey was carried out online from March 14 to April 28, 2022, with a representative sample of 4,512 young people aged 18 to 30 residing in France, selected according to the quota method.
