The 2024 World Happiness Report was released back in March and amongst its findings are some pretty shocking statistics that aren’t being spoken about enough. One of these is that Gen Z Brits are sadder than ever reported before. 

It’s important to acknowledge the context that as a country, The UK has fallen from being the 17th happiest country on average in the 2022 report to the 20th in this latest instalment. However, when focussing only on the views of those under the age of 30, the UK drops to 32nd place in this year’s index.

As a whole, the report found people in the UK are struggling to cope and are battling exhaustion but the statistics are showing that these struggles are exacerbated for the younger generation. 

The report said that Britain, along with Norway, Spain, Sweden, Germany and France, is a country where the old are now significantly happier than the young. But, should this really come at such a great surprise?

Today’s young people are trying to navigate the cost of living crisis, a housing crisis, have lived through a global pandemic and, not to mention, have navigated all of this and more in the minefields of today’s age of social media. 

As well as this, the students of today are paying tuition fees and racking up student debts that their parents never had to consider, the impacts of global warming are becoming an increasing threat that is no longer looming in the distance and the political climate of the UK and the world as a whole has become notably destabilised.

This is not to say the older generations didn’t have their struggles also, however, it’s important to question whether their situation was comparable to what the average Gen Z has on their plate today. The statistics would suggest that they are not. 

In an article responding to the report’s release, The Guardian described these alarming findings as a “warning sign to governments that have put the welfare of older people above that of younger generations” and here at Messy, we couldn’t agree more. 

This trend of deteriorating happiness amongst the country’s youth cannot continue and has to be addressed with urgency. Gen Z cannot be an afterthought of the government when it comes to policy making and their situation and concerns need to be taken seriously.

If you are struggling with your mental health, you can reach out to The Samaritans here or you can access Mind UK here. 

For more articles about what is affecting young people at the moment, click here.