More emancipation and qualifications among young people in the city

The Barcelona Young People’s Survey 2020 gauges the life conditions, habits and values of young people in the city between the ages of 15 and 34. The survey gathers the most significant data in three main areas which affect the emancipation and future life projects of people in this age group in the city: housing, education and employment.

18/08/2021 11:27 h

Ajuntament de Barcelona

This year’s survey was the first to include a sample of young people who are not officially registered as city residents, but who have been here for at least six months. The aim was for this survey to better reflect the city’s social reality.

Some 58% of young people in Barcelona were not born in the city, 33.2% came for work purposes, 27.3% to study and 21.8% with their families. Data also show that 64.4% of young people living in the city are Spanish nationals, compared to 7.5% from EU countries and 28.1% from outside Europe.

In general, Barcelona’s young people offer a positive balance of their satisfaction with life, giving an average score of 7.7 (out of 10). They are particularly satisfied with their family and friends, while the change in the economic situation and the sphere of work are the areas which are of most concern to them.

Housing

Some 76% of young people between the ages of 25 and 34 are emancipated, mainly living with partners and with or without children (40.4%), or sharing a flat with friends (22%).

At the same time, the number of emancipated people between the ages of 20 and 29 is up by over 20% compared to 2015. This rise can be explained by the inclusion of the sample of young people who are not on the city’s register of residents, who in many cases are people who come to Barcelona to study or to work.

Out of these emancipated young people, over 83% live in rented housing, some 8% more than in 2015, while just 8% own their flats. The average monthly cost of rents or mortgage payments incurred by young people is 893.8 euros.

Work

Some 67.3% of young people in jobs have a permanent contract, while 27% have temporary contracts, which are more common among young people, women and those born abroad.

If we take into account young people and work in the city, the Covid-19 pandemic prompted a rise in unemployment, which rose from 7.2% in June 2019 to 13.3% in June 2020, when the survey was carried out.

Education

Some 55.5% of young people between the ages of 25 and 34 have university qualifications, representing 5% more than the previous survey, while 10% do not get further than secondary school at the most. Some 60% young people in work have roles which are closely or fairly closely linked to what they studied.

Barcelona is still a focal point for young people from home and abroad seeking to pursue higher studies.

Report Young People in Barcelona in the Year of the Pandemic

This year’s survey coincided with the start of the pandemic, which meant it was possible to gauge its impact on the young population. A more in-depth treatment of these data is made in the report Young People in Barcelona in the Year of the Pandemic, which gathers ten analyses from experts in different dimensions of social research.

An online presentation of the report is being organised for 17 September, with debate focusing on different areas such as education, housing, labour insecurity, digital recreation and the health of young people. Anybody wishing to take part can register using this form.

 

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