Australia’s voting demographic is a-changin’ — millennials and generation Z will outnumber baby boomers for the first time in this year’s federal election. We have asked Guardian readers aged between 18 and 39 to tell us the deciding factors of their vote.
These results should not be compared with those from professional pollsters but they do provide a clear snapshot of our young readership – key players in Australian democracy.
More than 900 people responded and we have combed through every answer, covering economic and social stressors, whether they feel optimistic or pessimistic about the future, and naming the single most important issue to them.
It may not be surprising that in the age of global boiling, doomscrolling and the prospect of being worse off than our parents, the mood is overwhelmingly gloomy.
More than 500 feel pessimistic about the future, 174 are somewhat optimistic, many with the caveat of uncertainty, and the rest oscillate between the two.
The cost of living is the overwhelming main stressor, mentioned 528 times, followed closely by housing (521), both often mentioned in tandem. Climate comes in at third, flagged by 434.
Other frequent themes are broad concerns about social cohesion (244), rising far-right ideology (210), healthcare (190) and foreign affairs (152).
Are there any glimmers of hope for our future?
Here 20 young people share more about their thoughts before they head to the ballot box in May, holding more generational power than ever.
