December Citizens’ Pulse: Almost half of all young people are experiencing stress

In the December round of the Citizens’ Pulse Survey commissioned by the Government, young people reported the highest levels of stress recorded in the survey to date. All in all, 49 per cent of 15–29-year-olds reported experiencing fairly or very high levels of stress. The proportion of young people experiencing a great deal of stress has approximately doubled since early autumn 2020.

Of all respondents, 28 per cent said they were experiencing fairly or very high levels of stress.

“Young people’s wellbeing has been a major concern throughout the COVID-19 epidemic, and this month’s Citizens’ Pulse shows that the concern is still regrettably topical. In the age group of 15–29-year-olds, the proportion of people experiencing a high level of stress has been on an upward trajectory for more than two years. Based on previous analyses, we also know that women experience significantly more stress than men, meaning that young women are experiencing the most stress of all,” says Senior Specialist Juho Jyrkiäinen from the Prime Minister’s Office.

Finland’s economic situation and electricity prices still among the greatest concerns

The survey revealed that Finland’s economic situation and changes in the prices of electricity and other forms of energy continue to be among citizens’ greatest concerns. A total of 60 per cent of respondents said they were fairly or very concerned about the state of the Finnish economy, while 56 per cent were concerned about energy prices. Concerns about energy prices were especially high among low-income households, with 65 per cent reporting that they were concerned about the price of energy.

More and more people, now 55 per cent of respondents, have changed their consumption habits. Respondents have made changes especially when it comes to groceries and daily consumer goods. Nearly 90 per cent have taken energy saving measures. An increasing number of people have reduced the use of electrical equipment at home and lowered the temperature in their homes and storage spaces.

Citizens’ support for the sanctions imposed on Russia has increased, and more and more Finns are in favour of receiving Ukrainian refugees. Nearly nine out of ten respondents (87 per cent) are in favour of sanctions, while almost eight out of ten (77 per cent) support receiving Ukrainian refugees.

Trust in political parties has declined from the previous round of the survey to 34 per cent. Trust in social institutions saw a decline in the autumn and now remains at a similar level. All in all, 79 per cent of the respondents said they had trust in the education system, 71 per cent in the healthcare system and 61 per cent in the Government. In contrast, trust in the Defence Forces and the police has remained high.

The 41st round of the Citizens’ Pulse survey was conducted between 7 and 12 December.

Inquiries: Juho Jyrkiäinen, Senior Specialist, Prime Minister’s Office, tel. +358 295 160 181