AK Youth Monitor: Inflation continues to hit young people in Austria hard

Income shapes educational opportunities

The differences between income groups are particularly striking. For the bottom 30 percent, the money is not enough to live on; for the middle 40 percent, it is just about sufficient. 44 percent of the lowest-income young people could not start an education or further training due to their financial situation or had to abandon it. On average, only 19 percent of all respondents reported cuts in education, while among the highest-income group the figure was just 2 percent.

Looking to the future also reveals clear divides. 38 percent of the bottom income third are optimistic about their own future, compared with 82 percent in the top third. When it comes to the country's future, the gap is similarly wide: 56 percent of the highest-income group view it positively, compared with just 24 percent in the bottom third. Overall, two thirds of respondents are optimistic, and around three quarters are satisfied with their lives overall.

Rent cap as a "first step"

Ilkim Erdost, head of the Education Department at the Vienna Chamber of Labour, sees the rent cap in force since April as merely a beginning. She spoke of a "erster Schritt" and called for uniform tenancy law that regulates the private housing market and abolishes fixed-term contracts. Erdost also urged a stronger focus on education, labour market and housing policy.

Laura Zandonella, deputy chair of the Austrian Trade Union Youth, addressed a direct appeal to policymakers and businesses. She called for fairly paid apprenticeships, affordable housing and the systematic involvement of young people in decisions. 72 percent of those surveyed wanted more opportunities for political participation, and around half are already active in associations or interest groups.

Calls for more participation and fair housing

Another finding concerns voting rights: the share of young people without Austrian citizenship and therefore without the right to vote has doubled across Austria over the past twenty years, reaching 27 percent. The study's author, Martina Zandonella, sees the strongest link between overall life satisfaction and financial means; gender, place of residence or migration background play a comparatively smaller role.

Data basis and methodology

For the survey, the polling institute Foresight interviewed 1,500 people aged between 16 and 29 on behalf of the AK between February and March. The study covers the living situation of around 1.4 million young people resident in Austria. The AK points out that the effects of inflation on young people have become entrenched since 2024.

The findings point to structural problems: housing costs, educational opportunities and political participation affect young people unequally across different living situations. The AK and the Trade Union Youth see policymakers as duty-bound to counter this with targeted measures – from effective tenancy law and affordable educational pathways to more say for those who have so far been little heard.

The financial burden extends beyond the wallet: those who cannot afford education or further training have worse long-term chances in the labour market. The study's author, Martina Zandonella, emphasises that financial room for manoeuvre is the decisive factor for life satisfaction – a finding that increases the pressure on policymakers to take concrete steps.