From newborns through young adults — about 8 million Australians, 30% of the population. Pre-voters, school-leavers, early-career — most policy is made about them, less of it with them.

Framing

Three crises define this cohort right now: a youth mental-health emergency (65% of 18–25 in psychological distress), a school-system stretched by teacher shortage and rising school-refusal, and a youth-justice system that still allows criminal responsibility at age 10 in most jurisdictions. Loneliness has grown 8 points in two decades. The system mostly only activates at crisis point.

Day in the life — three sub-cohorts

Primary-school-age child (5–12)

Morning. Breakfast. Lunchbox. School run. Possibly OSHC. Day. Class, recess, lunch, sport. Reading and number progression. Afternoon. OSHC or pickup. Sport / extracurricular. Evening. Homework. Devices (regulated or not). Family time.

Teen (13–17)

Morning. Late wake. Often skipped breakfast. School. Day. Class. Phone. Peers. Possibly part-time job after school. Evening. Homework / scroll / sport / friends. Night. Late screens. Mental-health peak window 8pm–midnight for some.

Young adult (18–24)

Morning. Uni / TAFE / job. Possibly multiple jobs. Day. Study + work. Possibly first lease + housemates. Evening. Social. Caring for friends through MH crises increasingly common.

Government services touched

• Department of Education — schools, ECEC, tertiary
• eSafety Commissioner — online safety for under-18s
• eSafety Youth Council — youth voice
• Department of Health, Disability and Ageing — youth MH, headspace
• Department of Employment and Workplace Relations — apprenticeships, Workforce Australia
• Services Australia — Youth Allowance, ABSTUDY
• Australian Electoral Commission — electoral roll
• State education, health, child protection, juvenile justice
• headspace, Mission Australia, ARACY, UNICEF Australia

Top activities by life area

Pain points

1. Youth mental-health crisis and headspace waitlist.
2. Age of criminal responsibility at 10 (mostly First Nations kids affected).
3. Teacher shortage cascading to school refusal and outcome plateau.
4. Youth Allowance below the poverty line.
5. Apprenticeship completion under 50%.
6. Online-safety SLAs and algorithmic harm to under-18s.

Needs from government

• Same-week access SLA for headspace.
• Embedded mental-health professional in every secondary school.
• Raise the age of criminal responsibility to 14 nationally.
• Lift Youth Allowance toward MTAWE.
• Subsidise learner-driver lessons + instructor pool in regional and disadvantaged areas.
• Pass a binding Children's Code for any service Australian kids use.

Quotes

• "I've been waiting 8 months to see a psychologist. I can't afford private. My GP said just try to cope." — 19-year-old, regional Queensland (Citizen Voice 2025, Mental Health)
• "My son came home from uni and barely left his room for three months. No friends, no work, no help." — Parent, suburban Sydney (Citizen Voice 2025, Mental Health)
• "I moved to a new city for work and didn't know anyone. Two years later I still don't." — Young professional, Melbourne (Citizen Voice 2025, Mental Health)
• "This silent crisis is often marked by profound loneliness and disconnection." — Mental health sector leader (Citizen Voice 2025, Mental Health)

Top actionable ideas (linked)

• (i070) Youth foyers expansion — medium
• (i071) Youth Allowance to MTAWE — medium
• (i072) First-job pay accuracy tool — small
• (i073) headspace 2.0 — medium
• (i074) School-based mental-health professional — medium
• (i075) Care-leaver guarantee to 25 — small
• (i076) Apprentice completion incentive — small
• (i077) Learner-driver subsidy — small
• (i078) National teacher pipeline — medium
• (i079) Sport voucher national scheme — small
• (i080) Age of criminal responsibility incentive — small
• (i081) Online-safety rapid-takedown SLA — small
• (i082) Children's Code — small

Key life events

• Starting school
• Leaving school — the master transition for this cohort
• Major health issue — youth mental health
• Moving to Australia — for migrant kids

Sources

• Mission Australia Youth Survey
• headspace National Youth Mental Health Survey
• AIHW Australia's Children and Australia's Youth
• Children's Commissioners (state)
• ARACY; UNICEF Australia