A new poll has revealed that half of young people in Britain would never take up arms to defend their country, with domestic issues such as the cost of living taking precedence over global conflicts.
Key Findings from the Youth Poll
The survey, conducted by the John Smith Centre at Glasgow University, polled 2,000 individuals aged 16 to 29. It found that young people exhibit what researchers describe as 'cautious internationalism,' marked by concerns about global conflict and scepticism toward military action. Many interviewees expressed the view that contemporary wars are pointless or politically driven.
When asked if they would be willing to go to war for their country, 50% said they would never take up arms, while only 38% said they would do so under certain circumstances. Willingness dropped further to 32% when the question was framed around fighting for Europe.
One interviewee remarked: 'No citizens actually want war, it's just the leaders ordering things.'
Declining Optimism for the Future
The poll also highlighted a dramatic decline in optimism among young people. The proportion expecting their lives to be better than their parents' halved in just one year, falling from 63% to 36%.
Eddie Barnes, director of the John Smith Centre, commented: 'The idea that the next generation will have it better than previous ones has been a founding belief for decades. Today's poll shows that the majority of this generation of young people no longer believe it to be true. And it reveals their loss of belief is collapsing at speed.'
Barnes added: 'On the upside, young people remain broadly optimistic about their future and want to engage in politics and public life. But locked out of the housing market, pinned down by low wages, loaded by student debt, and increasingly worried about the rise in AI, young people today feel a growing sense of unfairness about the world around them.'
'In those circumstances, it should be little surprise that 50% say they wouldn't fight for the country under any circumstances. Or as many young people might put it: why fight for a country that isn't fighting for you?'
Priorities: Domestic Issues Over Defence
While reluctant to engage in combat, 43% of respondents believe the UK has a responsibility to intervene in other countries to challenge human rights abuses. However, defence and security ranked low in young people's domestic priorities, despite ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East. Only 9% placed defence and security in their top five issues for the UK, far behind concerns such as the cost of living, housing, and healthcare.
Cost of living and inflation were ranked significantly higher than defence and European relations, underscoring the financial pressures facing young people. Personal concerns such as financial worries, job insecurity or unemployment, and housing instability topped the list, with respondents indicating that higher wages and affordable housing would most improve their lives.
Barnes concluded: 'Governments across the UK and all political parties need to listen and set out the practical policies that will restore young people's faith in the future.'
