Youth prioritize economic concerns, AKP survey reveals

ANKARA

A recent survey conducted by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) has highlighted that financial issues are the primary concerns for the country’s young people.

The survey, obtained by daily Hürriyet, was carried out in June with 3,000 participants across Türkiye.

It found that 25.8 percent of young people identified unemployment as the most pressing problem, followed closely by 21.9 percent who cited the economy. Education was the third most important issue, with 15.9 percent of respondents naming it as their primary concern.

When asked about their future, 36.1 percent of the participants described themselves as "very optimistic" or "optimistic," while 33.6 percent expressed a "very pessimistic" or "pessimistic" outlook.

Among those with a negative view of their future, 28.9 percent attributed their pessimism to "economic problems" and 17.7 percent pointed to "anxiety about building a future."

The survey also revealed that a significant portion of young people are considering leaving Türkiye, with 40.1 percent saying they "plan to live abroad.

Regarding their current state of happiness, 36.6 percent of respondents described themselves as "very happy" or "happy," while 25.8 percent said they were "not happy at all" or "not happy."

Interest in politics among Turkish youth appears to be low, with only 21.3 percent indicating that they are "very interested" or "interested" in political matters, compared to 57.5 percent who said they are "not interested" or "not interested."

The survey also explored young people's political leanings, finding that 30.4 percent align themselves with Kemalism, the ideology based on the principles of modern Türkiye founder Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.

In addition, 13.6 percent identified as nationalists, 4.7 percent as religious and 4.3 percent as conservatives.