'We're not asking for an easy life': The three key issues at the heart of Australia's 'polycrisis'

Sophie Blach, a 24-year-old working full-time in retail and hospitality while pursuing her degree, has had to return to her family home in Brisbane to save for a property deposit. Rising everyday costs make saving increasingly difficult, leaving her feeling the traditional path into adulthood is becoming out of reach. This reflects a broader trend in a new five-year analysis of the Australian Youth Barometer, which has tracked over 2,700 Australians aged 18 to 24 and identified them as living through a "polycrisis" of overlapping economic, social, environmental, and political pressures.

Affordable housing, employment opportunities, and climate change were identified as the top issues needing urgent action. Professor Lucas Walsh, lead author of the report, explains that these issues are interconnected, with each amplifying the others. Housing uncertainty, he says, is not isolated from Sophie's other life aspects; it can make saving for a home discouraging due to constantly changing financial expectations.

Wendy Stone, a housing and social policy professor, emphasizes that secure housing is crucial for young people to establish independence and pursue education, employment, and relationships. Australia's housing system, however, is failing to provide this security, compounding other structural challenges for young people. Professor Ian Hickie, a psychiatrist, notes that much of the distress among young people is tied to practical pressures in their daily lives, such as transport costs and access to essential services.

The Barometer found that 99% of surveyed young Australians reported at least one feeling of anxiety or pessimism in 2025, with fewer seeking and receiving mental-health support compared to 2021. Professor Scarlett Smout from Sydney University suggests that young people feel they have been failed by previous generations, inheriting a problem they cannot easily solve.

To address these issues, she advocates for creating connections and agency, including better access to nature, public transport, and community spaces, while recognizing that the responsibility cannot fall solely on individuals.