Younger Adults

Focus groups with young adults in France, Germany and the United Kingdom revealed that these young people see the U.S. as the “world’s policeman” with a self-interested history of interventionism, while China is labeled the “world’s factory,” respected for its economic dominance but criticized for its expansionism and human rights violations.

Though younger people tend to be more internationally oriented than older adults, they differ from one another over how they want their country to engage with the world. To better understand these perspectives, we conducted 16 focus groups with young adults in France, Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Evangelical Protestant adults under 40 are more likely than older evangelicals to say climate change is an extremely or very serious problem.

The share of young employees who have been with their employer three years or more has remained relatively steady over time.

36% of Americans say that more young adults living with their parents is bad for society, while 16% say it is good for society.

A quarter of U.S. adults ages 25 to 34 resided in a multigenerational family household in 2021, up from 9% in 1971.

1.6% of U.S. adults are transgender or nonbinary. Also, a rising share of Americans say they know someone who is transgender.

The gender wage gap is narrower among younger workers nationally, and the gap varies across geographical areas.

About seven-in-ten say young adults today have a harder time when it comes to saving for the future, paying for college and buying a home.

Young people in the United States express far more skeptical views of America’s global standing than older adults.