Young Europeans are taking part in more organisations and civic initiatives than last year, and three quarters say EU actions affect their daily lives.
A new Eurobarometer survey of 15 to 30-year-olds found 75% had participated in the activities of at least one organisation in the past 12 months, up from 64% in 2024, the European Commission reported on Wednesday.
The most common activities were linked to sports clubs (26%) and youth clubs or youth organisations (20%).
More than half — 55% — said they had taken part in at least one initiative to bring about societal change in the past year, up from 48% in 2024.
The survey also found 60% had participated in activities in another EU country, such as studying, cultural or sports exchanges, or volunteering — 17 percentage points higher than in a similar poll in 2024.
Jobs, living costs and making their voices heard
Three quarters of respondents — 75% — said actions taken by the EU have an impact on their daily lives, the Commission said.
Asked what they expect the EU to deliver for their generation, the most common answers were preserving peace (33%), fighting poverty and economic and social inequalities (32%), and increasing job opportunities for young people (31%).
When asked what youth policies should prioritise, the top response was focusing on job opportunities and the cost of living (40%), ahead of ensuring young people and youth organisations have a say in decisions (32%) and providing financial support for youth programmes and initiatives (32%).
Voting in elections (33%) and engaging on social media (32%) were seen as the most effective ways for young people to make their voices heard.
The Flash Eurobarometer on Youth and Democracy was conducted online between 19 June and 1 July 2026 among a representative sample of 26,806 young people across the EU’s 27 member states, the Commission said.
It added that the results will feed into preparations for the EU Youth Strategy after 2027.
