The burgeoning cost-of-living crisis has officially become the primary concern for young Victorians, according to sobering new data from the Mission Australia Youth Survey Report 2025.
The survey, which captured the voices of nearly 4500 Victorians aged 14 to 19, reveals a dramatic shift in the youth landscape.
Financial stress has surged to the top of the priority list, with 64 per cent of respondents identifying the cost of living as the most important issue facing them today.
This figure has more than doubled in just two years, rising from 31 per cent in 2023 – a statistic that highlights the rapid escalation of economic pressure on
local households.
The report suggests that young people are no longer shielded from the financial realities of adulthood.
Instead, they are acutely aware of the strain on
their families as parents juggle skyrocketing costs for food, electricity, housing
and childcare.
Many respondents noted witnessing their parents work longer hours and manage tightening household budgets under significant stress.
The Nationals’ State Member for Gippsland East, Tim Bull, described the findings as a “wake-up call”
for the state.
“It is unusual for our younger generation to have cost of living at the top of their issues list, but the reality is young people are seeing first-hand how tough it has become for their parents just to keep their heads above water,” Mr Bull said.
Mr. Bull attributed the localised pressure to the state’s current economic management, pointing to a suite of Victorian-specific taxes and a mounting state debt projected to reach
$192 billion.
“Working families are being stretched from every direction, with rising bills, unaffordable childcare,
and workloads that leave parents exhausted and stressed,” he said.
“This is no doubt a direct result of the myriad of new taxes we have in Victoria that do not exist in other states.”
The local MP also expressed concern for the long-term outlook of the survey’s participants, citing stagnant wages and the persistent barrier of high housing costs.
“This generation is being handed the bill for Labor’s reckless financial mismanagement,” Mr Bull said.
“It expects young Victorians to pay back interest repayments alone of $28 million per day. That is an unfair burden to place on young people who are already anxious about their future.”
The Mission Australia report underscores a growing sense of generational anxiety, as Victoria’s
youth look toward a future shaped by the state’s record-breaking debt and a volatile economic climate.
