Young People

Special Eurobarometer 441
27, 672 interviews
28 / 11 > 07 / 12 / 2015
Methodology: face-to-face
EU Development Cooperation and Aid
FOCUS ON YOUNG PEOPLE
November - December 2015
YOUNG PEOPLE AND DEVELOPMENT
2015 was an unprecedented year for development, both at a European and a global level. In Europe, 2015 was the
European Year for Development – the first time that the EU has chosen a theme that revolves around the Union’s
external actions and Europe’s role in the world. The goals of the European Year for Development included increasing the
awareness of citizens about how EU development aid works, as well as how and where development money is spent.
The main target audience of the European Year was young people.
As in 2014, young people (aged 15-24) hold more positive views of development cooperation and aid than their older
counterparts (aged 25 or over). In particular, young people are more positive about the role they can play as individuals,
and about the effectiveness of donations to organisations, volunteering in organisations and official development aid in
helping people in developing countries.
Young Europeans are only slightly more likely than their older counterparts to think it is important to help people in
developing countries (90% vs. 88%), or to agree that tackling poverty in developing countries should be one of the main
priorities of the EU (72% vs. 69%), or of their national government (52% vs. 50%).
Young people are much more likely to think that the EU should increase aid to developing countries (76% vs. 67%). In
particular, they are more likely to say that aid should be increased beyond what is already promised (20% vs. 15%) and
less likely to say that aid should be reduced (9% vs. 14%).
Young Europeans are more positive about the benefits of development cooperation and aid than older respondents.
They are more likely to agree tackling poverty in developing countries has a positive influence on EU citizens (77% vs.
72%) or this is in the EU’s own interest (85% vs. 80%). In addition, they are also slightly more likely to
agree development aid is an effective way to tackle irregular migration (75% vs. 73%).
Although young Europeans are slightly less aware that 2015 was the European Year for Development than their
older counterparts (15% vs. 18%), this proportion has increased by 3 percentage points since 2014.
Younger respondents are also more likely to feel more informed about development aid than they did in 2014 (18%
vs. 12%). There is no difference between the proportions of young and older respondents who have at least heard or
read about the Sustainable Development Goals (both 36%).
Considering the most pressing challenges for the future of developing countries, peace and security is still the most
mentioned challenge by both young and older respondents (42% vs. 41%). However, younger respondents are more
likely to mention health (38% vs. 33%) or education (37% vs. 33%) and less likely to mention economic growth,
employment and social inequality (22% vs. 26%).
Young Europeans are also more positive about the effectiveness of volunteering (80% vs. 74%), donations to
organisations (73% vs. 63%), and official development aid (73% vs. 66%) in helping to reduce poverty in developing
countries than their older counterparts.
Young people are much more likely than older respondents to agree that individuals can play a role in tackling poverty in
developing countries (61% vs. 50%), and they are more willing to pay more for products from developing countries
(56% vs. 48%). However, they are less likely than people aged 25 or over to be personally involved in helping these
countries (28% vs. 34%). In particular, the largest difference in personal involvement is between the proportions who
donate to organisations such as NGOs and charities (16% vs. 24%).
1
Special Eurobarometer 441
27, 672 interviews
28 / 11 > 07 / 12 / 2015
Methodology: face-to-face
EU Development Cooperation and Aid
FOCUS ON YOUNG PEOPLE
November - December 2015
1. IMPORTANCE OF AND ATTITUDES TOWARDS DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION AND AID
QA1
QA5
QA7.2
QA7.3
2
Special Eurobarometer 441
27, 672 interviews
28 / 11 > 07 / 12 / 2015
EU Development Cooperation and Aid
FOCUS ON YOUNG PEOPLE
Methodology: face-to-face
November - December 2015
2. BENEFITS OF DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION AND AID
QA7.4
QA7.5
QA7.7
QA7.8
3
Special Eurobarometer 441
27, 672 interviews
28 / 11 > 07 / 12 / 2015
Methodology: face-to-face
EU Development Cooperation and Aid
FOCUS ON YOUNG PEOPLE
November - December 2015
3. AWARENESS OF UNITED NATIONS' SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS
QA10
QA10R
4. AWARENESS OF "2015 - THE EUROPEAN YEAR FOR DEVELOPMENT"
AND DEVELOPMENT IN GENERAL
QA2
QA3
4
Special Eurobarometer 441
27, 672 interviews
28 / 11 > 07 / 12 / 2015
Methodology: face-to-face
EU Development Cooperation and Aid
FOCUS ON YOUNG PEOPLE
November - December 2015
5. UNDERSTANDING THE CHALLENGES FACING DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
QA4
6. EFFECTIVENESS OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF ACTION
QA9
5
Special Eurobarometer 441
27, 672 interviews
28 / 11 > 07 / 12 / 2015
Methodology: face-to-face
EU Development Cooperation and Aid
FOCUS ON YOUNG PEOPLE
November - December 2015
7. PERSONAL COMMITMENT TO AND INVOLVEMENT IN DEVELOPMENT
QA7.1
QA6
QA8
QA8R
6