Young people in Cyprus were most concerned about a new economic crisis and establishing of a way of life defined by restrictive measures, the Cyprus Youth Board’s third Youth Barometer showed.

The Youth Barometers aim to capture the current state of young people in Cyprus through their views and perceptions on various issues such as education, employment and public participation.

This year’s study, which had 1,000 randomly selected participants between the ages of 14 and 35, focused on the long-term events of the pandemic on young people, particularly on their mental and emotional state.

It was conducted by IMR-University of Cyprus between July and August 2021.

Six in 10 young people reported difficulties in adapting their studies or work to the new circumstances, with 82 per cent saying that they prefer more traditional teaching or working methods.

In addition, six in 10 young people said their mental health was negatively affected by the pandemic, with stress, monotony and uncertainty as the three dominant feelings they have been experiencing since the beginning of the pandemic.

Job uncertainty was picked by 48 per cent of participants as their greatest concern, echoing the two previous Youth Barometers.

A third, 32 per cent, picked social stereotypes and prejudice as the second most important issue faced by youth today.

Seventy per cent of participants said they were satisfied with their quality of life, marking a decline from the 85 per cent figure of the first Youth Barometer, conducted pre-pandemic.

Nevertheless, 80 per cent said they were optimistic over the future, with 61 per cent setting professional development as their primary goal for the next five years, 31 per cent finishing their studies, and 22 per cent financial independence.