Previewed at the Trento Economics Festival, new research by Eumetra, carried out in collaboration with the FAIR Foundation (Foundation for Listening, Innovation and Research on Responsible Gaming) for Il Sole 24 Ore, provides a detailed snapshot of young people aged 18–35. This is a generation not resigned to its lot, but one marked by deep tensions, high expectations, and new vulnerabilities.
The picture that emerges is far removed from narratives of either widespread unease or complete optimism. While young Italians exhibit moderate levels of personal satisfaction, they also grapple with anxiety, economic uncertainty, and a pressing need to strike a balance between life, work, and psychological well-being.
Although satisfaction is present, it is not fully achieved
When asked about their overall satisfaction with their lives, 36% of the 1,000 young people surveyed gave high ratings, while 44% gave intermediate ratings. However, almost 1 in 5 young people expressed low levels of satisfaction.
The data tells the story of a generation that does not appear to be overwhelmed by discontent, but which perceives quality of life as something that still needs to be achieved. Well-being is not taken for granted, but is seen as a fragile balance that must be constantly maintained.
The new hierarchy of well-being: mental health and relationships come first
When asked about the most important aspects of life, young people reveal a clear hierarchy.
Mental health is considered very important by 85% of the sample, making it the top priority, followed by physical health (82%). Next come relationships with partners and family, financial security, leisure time, and housing.
While work remains central, it no longer represents the absolute pinnacle of personal fulfilment.
This represents a significant cultural shift: quality of life is increasingly defined not solely by professional achievements, but by an overall balance between health, relationships, financial independence and personal time.
The crux of the matter: the gap between perceived importance and actual satisfaction
The most critical finding of the research is the gap between what young people consider important and what they find satisfying.
While 85% of young people consider mental health to be fundamental, it fully satisfies only 42%. Disposable income is important to 70% of young people, yet only 26% say they are very satisfied with their financial situation. Work is important to 54% of young people, but only 27% say they are fully satisfied with their job.
Leisure time also shows a significant discrepancy: it is important to 71% of young people, but only 37% say they are very satisfied with it.
Therefore, young people’s well-being does not depend solely on their stated values or priorities, but on the concrete possibility of experiencing these aspects consistently and to a high standard.
AI: greater productivity, but also new fears
The research examines the relationship between younger generations and generative artificial intelligence (AI), which has become an integral part of their daily lives, serving as a tool for study, work, and personal organisation.
The recognised benefits of AI are primarily pragmatic:
62% cite increased productivity and time savings, while 59% highlight the support it provides in study and work thanks to rapid access to information. This is followed by creative support in content production (33%) and the automation of repetitive tasks (30%).
However, alongside these advantages, very concrete fears are also emerging.
The main concerns are technological dependence and job losses, both cited by 43% of respondents, followed by security and privacy issues, reduced creativity, and the loss of critical thinking skills and the ability to select information.
Young people therefore appear to have a deeply ambivalent relationship with AI: they recognise the technology as useful and already indispensable, but at the same time it raises questions about personal autonomy, work, and critical thinking skills.
The weight of the external context: economy, geopolitics and climate
Perceived quality of life does not depend solely on the individual sphere. The external context exerts a strong influence on younger generations.
The main sources of concern are the global economic context (58%), the international political context (58%), and the Italian economic situation (57%). These are followed by Italian politics (51%), pollution and climate issues (48%), urban safety (31%), and the gender gap (26%).
Women express higher levels of concern across almost all the analysed dimensions, particularly regarding geopolitics, climate, the economy and gender inequality.
Despite the fragility of the present, the future is still seen as positive
Young people expect improvements in financial security (57%), employment (53%), relationships (50%) and housing stability (47%) above all.
Attitudes towards the future reveal significant generational differences.
Those aged 18–24 have much higher, more transformative expectations; they envisage improvements in economic and professional terms as well as in mental health, relationships, and their city. Among those aged 25–35, however, a more pragmatic outlook centred on stability, career continuity and work-life balance prevails.
Therefore, the future continues to be perceived as a space for potential growth, but with different expectations and ways of thinking depending on life stage.
This research raises new questions about the well-being of younger generations
The study by Eumetra and the FAIR Foundation clearly shows that the quality of life experienced by younger generations today is the result of multiple, intertwined dimensions, including mental health, relationships, financial security, personal balance, social context, and the relationship with technology.
This analysis offers one of the most up-to-date and in-depth portraits of young Italians and their relationship with quality of life. It complements the sixth edition of the Sole 24 Ore quality of life survey, which ranks Italian provinces by assessing well-being and liveability through 60 territorial indicators. The survey rewards the provinces with the best living environment for each age group.
→ For further reading, see the article published in Il Sole 24 Ore