The 2015 EU Youth Report was published on 15 September 2015. It presents a full picture of the situation of young people in Europe, with a special chapter dedicated to youth participation.
It reveals that generally young people are seen as disenchanted toward politics and less engaged in their community. However, data and information provided in the report are challenging this widespread believe.
About one third of young Europeans report to be very or quite interested in politics. Some differences exist between countries. Northern and Scandinavian member states register higher level of interest than Southern and Eastern countries.
Political interest of young people has remained stable over the last years. Data of the report reveals that the more individuals grow older, the more they show interest in political issues. Therefore, political consciousness and social steps take time and partly explain that the level of political interest increases from the age of 20.
According to the EU Youth report, sense of European citizenship is more important between 15 and 24 years-old than for other generations. However, traditional forms of political engagement such as voting is less attractive for young people, even if, 47 % among 15 and 24 years-old think that voting has remained a democratic principle. In any case, young people show more interest in local elections than European ones.
Finally, the turnout of young people in joining a political party is continuously decreasing. They prefer being active in non-governmental organisations, express their political opinion and interact with public bodies through internet.
Read more on the 2015 EU Youth Report.