Monash University Media Release
A “youthquake” is set to shape up the 2025 federal election as Millenial and Gen Z voters outnumber their older counterparts at the polls for the first time, with housing and employment front of mind according to a new report from Monash University.
A new report from Monash University’s Centre for Youth Policy and Education Practice (CYPEP) has crunched the numbers and found Millenial and Gen Z voters will be most concerned with housing, employment, climate change, inequality and health when casting their votes.
Five top issues for young voters in the 2025 Federal Election: Insights from the Australian Youth Barometer shows three in four voters aged under 24 want immediate action on affordable housing.
Half of voters under 24 also cited employment opportunities for young people as an urgent issue, while almost one in three cited racial and gender inequality.
CYPEP Director and Monash School of Education Culture & Society Professor Lucas Walsh said the findings could help decide the electoral future of many hopeful federal election candidates.
“This election is the first where Gen Z and Millennials will make up the majority of voters in every Australian state and territory,” he said.
“This is a critical moment in time because such a significant change in the electoral demographic brings with it a shift in the issues we see deciding elections.
“Young Australians are inheriting not only the weight of greater voting influence, but also disproportionate challenges related to affordable accommodation, work and climate change.”
Professor Walsh said the next generation of voters have grown up in a more tumultuous and dynamic political environment than past generations, resulting in different expectations for their elected representatives.
“Young people today are not the same rusted-on, partisan voters their parents and grandparents have been, so the proposition from politicians must be different,” he said.
“Politicians beware: Millennials and Gen Z voters will make their decisions on the issues they are seeing affecting their community, rather than the colour of the shirts the candidates are wearing.”
The Australian Youth Barometer examines interconnected dimensions of young people’s lives by surveying at least 500 Australians aged 18-24 and interviewing 30 more.
Themes covered in the barometer include; the economy, work, education, wellbeing, relationships with family, friends and partners, the impact of technology and social media and young people’s civic participation in society, including experiences of belonging and exclusion.
The figures in the Five top issues for young voters in the 2025 Federal Election report come from the 2024 Australian Youth Barometer.
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Let’s hope they have higher standards and greater expectations than the majority of boomers (of which I’m one.) Because voting for the same old, same old, sucked in by the lies, the corruption, the tendency toward the RW, AUKUS, and an acceptance, support even, of the Israeli genocide, is just voting against our own best interests. Over and over and over. But I’m yet to be convinced that young people will save us from ourselves.
We have got no chance relying on young people. Half or more of them are being led by influencers, watching or looking at something on their devices, gambling, drunk or drugged out and/or unable to think for themselves or think logically. The majority couldn’t care less about climate change. Genocide in Palestine ……. who gives a S&*t.
Then we have the oldies who are petrified. Imminent war with China, Chinese under beds, Poor Israel, every Arab is a terrorist, Russia is the devil incarnate, The US will save us, We need to spend more on defence, boat people taking over the country, home invaders on every corner, God will save us, I want to go to heaven, etc, etc. These poor bu%^$#s can be led where the system wants them to go. They all get there news from the abomination that is Murdoch and a myriad of shock jocks who seem to know everything and have an answer/solution to everything. It is all so simple.
95% of Journalists in this country and overseas don’t have the courage to ask the hard questions. We know why this is the case because power and money own the system. Ask the “wrong” question and your out. Discredit the string pullers and your out.
The ABC – forget it. Independant, hard hitting no chance. Pathetic to the maximum. Cowering in the corner.
We have a political system that is RS. Money influences everything. Anyone and everyone can be bought. The system is rigged against 95%++ of the population.
doesn’t look good for our kids. And us.
Yes, according to the Conversation, 47% of Gen Z mainly vote to avoid a fine. It’s a sign of younger Australians’ discontent with democracy, but unwillingness to do anything about it. Personally, I find this extremely worrying.
And yes, we are our own worst enemy.
Bit sceptical on numbers, but youth will inevitably prevail due to demography and rebalance.
The latter is related to not just Gen X and the boomer ‘bomb’, but longevity of the silent gens; middle aged & older are near 8 million and 40%+ of the electorate.
Youth are outnumbered by middle aged and older in regions, where the LNP and RW MSM focus.
I’m really sorry that Simba has such negative views. I find, speaking to grandchildren aged 26, 20 and 14 a great awareness and concern , a willingness to discuss with me – almost 82 years old now- current affairs. I think young people – at least a lot of them- are fairly ‘clued’ up. This is the same with my nephews in the UK – in their teens.
Perhaps I’m not typical of a “Boomer” because WW2 was still taking place when I was born but all my friends from the same time , (those still around), are very non- “God will save us” types. We interchange views and articles on world affairs- none from any Murdoch publication by the way, but from good journalistic sites , such as this one and others.
I agree somewhat that the ABC has been terrified of its own shadow and prefers presenting -mostly- comfortable programmes and dramas and endless repeats. However the ABC has had its wings clipped substantially, beginning with Abbott and Dutton promises to do more cutting should he become PM.
Admittedly , there is a scourge and huge concern of these people they call “Influencers”- especially on young boys and young men incitement to violence towards women etc. The malevolent Andrew Tate and his brother have been demonstrably influential in some horrific murders of women and other crimes which have taken place after police have found these young men who killed had been followers of Andrew Tate.
It is mostly about good teaching of good values at home, at school, wherever. I recognise that this is not always possible for many people, but it’s a goal to be pursued.
Apologies for my thoughts. I do have hope, Simba.
PS
Is there a term for pre -boomer?
Living in New England where the representative of the NOtional$ is best known for his adultery, alcoholism, bigotry, corruption, fornication, sexual harassment and misogyny I am amazed that the women of Tamworth NSW are prepared to have such a person represent their best interests ….. or do they have no shame??
New England remains locked into a 19th century thought pattern where many graziers are still looking for the ”reds under the beds” identified by Menzies in 1956, the ultimate fear of ”the Yellow Peril” that their fathers fought in WWII and the Whitlam LABOR government that gave them the AWC wool price support scheme, that was abused by graziers. Now the sheep , like their kids, are gone.
Having spent far too many years associated with too many of their little darlings, I think it is fair to say that the kids are detached from politics, just like their parents, have been ”educated” to ask for nothing and expect even less because ”politics is for city folk”.
About 30% of Australians live in regional or remote locations and the few thinkers in New England ask,”Why does the Sydney Parliament spend $25 BILLION constructing the Rozelle rolling carpark to sell off to the banker mates of the COALition, buy ferries and trains from foreign corporations that do not suit Australian conditions and dig up Inner West Sydney for more tunnels to where??”
Perhaps if these politicians returned to providing drinking water to country towns still reliant on tank water, repairing water supply pipelines providing town water and renovating plus reopening railways like the Main North Line between Armidale and Wallangarra Jennings to provide affordable public transport to 216k of voters, there would be more interest in political matters within the electorate.
Oh well, it may be that the platter of expectations is progressively being replaced by a begging bowl. Needs must and nihilism will likely take on meanings more tangible.
Whilst yabber yabber is learned from those averse to action, those opting for a lineage of theoreticians and yabber-yabberers. Whatever! Waiting is not the mother of invention or reinvention.
NEC:
I actually prefer being on tank water because it’s free. I have two largeish tanks and, even with regular watering of various plants during the drier months, never run out.
Agree with the rest of your comment, however.