Young people more worried about Brexit than catching Covid

Despite ongoing concern about the spread of the coronavirus, young adults in Britain are more worried by the devastating economic impacts of Brexit than the pandemic.

A new survey shows more than two fifths of young adults – 45 per cent – report being “stressed” about the consequences of the UK’s disruptive exit from the EU’s single market and customs union.

UCL academics found a lower proportion of 18 to 29-year-olds were worried about catching Covid-19. Some 32 per cent of young people said they were stressed over the prospect, and only 22 per cent said they feared becoming seriously ill from the disease.

Researchers said it was understandable that Brexit loomed so large for young people, who said they were worried about jobs and future prospects now that the UK has quit the EU’s economic bloc.

“It is not surprising that younger people are most worried about the impact of Brexit,” said lead author of the UCL study, Dr Daisy Fancourt. “A greater proportion of younger people voted to Remain than to Leave in the 2016 Brexit referendum.

“And the ongoing news about the ramifications of leaving the EU for jobs, finances and businesses is likely to have a greater impact on younger people.”

She added: “There is also the perception among younger people that they are at lower risk from Covid-19 and that even if they do catch the disease, they are unlikely to become seriously ill.”

Launched in the week before lockdown started, the UCL Covid-19 Social Study is the UK’s largest study into how adults are feeling about events during lockdown – with over 70,000 participants followed across the last 46 weeks.

Almost a third of all adults in Britain (30 per cent) reported being stressed about Brexit between the end of December and early February – slightly lower than the proportion worried about catching Covid (38 per cent) or becoming seriously ill from the virus (33 per cent).

Almost one in ten people in England and Wales (8 per cent) say they are “majorly stressed” about Brexit – but this rises to 14 per cent in Scotland. 

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Major stress about catching Covid is highest in those aged over 60. Some 14 per cent of people in this group told researchers they remained very worried about the prospect. 

“Older people are less likely to have been affected by the new arrangements since the Brexit transition period ended but are at a higher risk of becoming seriously ill from Covid-19 – leading to greater stress around catching the disease and reduced worry about Brexit,” said Dr Fancourt.

The latest survey report also finds that the current lockdown is causing more even upheaval to the lives of Britons than the first lockdown last spring. A quarter (24 per cent) report that their lives are “completely different” from usual, compared to 18 per cent in 2020.

Cheryl Lloyd, education programme head at the Nuffield Foundation, said young people are some of the most likely to be furloughed or to stop working during the pandemic.

“More needs to be done to provide young people with adequate support, including access to mental health services, and the skills they need to re-enter the job market,” she said.

The UCL study is funded by the Nuffield Foundation, with additional support from Wellcome and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).