Young Lives has released headline findings from Round 7 of the 20+ year study. These latest results reveal the ongoing impacts of climate change, conflict and Covid-19 on young people in poor countries around the world.

Young Lives, a unique longitudinal study led by the University of Oxford, has followed the lives of 12,000 children in Ethiopia, India (Telangana and Andhra Pradesh), Peru, and Vietnam since 2002, informing meaningful policy change to improve the lives of children and young people growing up in poverty. 

The latest findings highlight how persistent inequalities and global crises, are impacting the lives of young people in some of the poorest communities in the world, least able to withstand them. 

Although the study found significant improvements in overall living standards in the first 20 years, concerning trends emerged during the pandemic when household poverty and food shortages rose and education was widely disrupted. Mental health issues also significantly increased, particularly for young people navigating the profound economic and social impacts of the pandemic, alongside the climate crisis and conflict in Ethiopia. 

While the latest findings show some recovery post-pandemic in young people’s lives, a complex and uneven picture is unfolding, with the compounding effects of Covid-19, climate change and conflict continuing to cast a long shadow. 

Nine factsheets summarise findings on young people’s Education & Skills, Health & Well-Being, and Work & Family Lives in Ethiopia, India and Peru.

Find out more in the full press release. 

Download the factsheets and read more about Round 7 on the Young Lives website.