Our research looked at what young people aged between 11 and 25 years old think about politics and voting. The research was carried out using a combination of an online survey, with 2,516 people, and several focus groups in Autumn/Winter 2024.
Most young people are not very interested in UK politics – particularly local politics. They often feel that politics does not affect their daily lives.
However, encouragingly, most young people (about two-thirds) think it’s important to learn more about UK politics. Nearly three-quarters believe politics should be taught more in schools or colleges. Although many young people get their political information from social media, they are more likely to trust the information they hear about politics at school or college.
Interest in politics increases with age and varies by other things, like where people live, their family's background, and how much politics is talked about at home. For example, young people who live in London or come from higher-income families are more likely to say they care about UK politics.
This also affects how young people think about voting. Those who talk more about politics at home or in school are more confident about knowing how to vote in an election.
However, many young people still don’t feel confident about voting. They want to know more about how voting works, why it’s important, and who they should vote for.
If young people understand how politics works and why it’s important, they are more likely to get involved. To make politics more interesting, it should be taught in engaging ways, with visits from people who work in politics or through mock elections.