Lifestyles of Young Adults - UK - November 2012

INTRODUCTION
Definition
Methodology
Abbreviations
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Job market woes continue for young adults
Figure 1: Destinations of all full-time higher education leavers, 2010/11
Most young adults are not in a hurry to fly the nest
Figure 2: Current living situation, September 2012
Home comforts
Figure 3: Top ten spending priorities, by current living situation, September 2012
Three in ten parents foot their child’s mobile bill
Figure 4: Who pays the mobile bill, September 2012
Future is uncertain
Figure 5: Attitudes towards finances and future concerns, September 2012
ISSUES IN THE MARKET
What impact did the recession have on the 16-24-year-olds?
Are young adults setting mobile trends?
Is today’s cohort of young adults financially frugal?
How does living with parents influence young people’s habits?
TREND APPLICATION
Trend: Experience is All
Trend: Unfairer sex
2015 Trend: Old Gold
DEMOGRAPHIC OVERVIEW
Key points
Trends in UK population age structure
Figure 6: Trends in the age structure of the UK population, 2007-17
Higher education statistics
Figure 7: First year student enrolments by UK students on undergraduate courses, 2006/07-2010/11
Gender distribution of students
Figure 8: Number of undergraduate full-time and part-time UK students, by gender, 2010/11
What young people do after they graduate
Figure 9: Destinations of all full-time higher education leavers, 2010/11
Employment prospects
Figure 10: Trends in the proportion of NEETs amongst 16-24-year-olds in England, Q1 2007-Q2 2012
NEETs’ gender distribution
Figure 11: Trends in the proportion of NEETS amongst 16-24-year-olds in England, by gender, 2007-11
CURRENT LIVING SITUATION
Key points
Nearly seven in ten young adults live with their parents
Figure 12: Current living situation, September 2012
Affordability is top priority
Figure 13: Reasons for living in current location, September 2012
Recreation choices influence those who fly the nest
Figure 14: Reasons for living in current location, by current living situation, September 2012
Young women are more picky about their location
Figure 15: Number of reasons for living in current location, by gender, September 2012
FINANCES AND SPENDING PRIORITIES
Key points
Young adults focus on savings
Figure 16: Spending priorities, September 2012
Rising costs of independence
Figure 17: Spending priorities, by gender and age, September 2012
Youngsters living with family spend more freely
Figure 18: Top ten spending priorities, by current living situation, September 2012
Debit cards are the preferred type of plastic
Figure 19: Types of payment cards held, by age, 2012
Lower usage of debit and credit cards amongst young adults
Figure 20: Frequency of use of cards and average monthly spend on credit card, 2012
Males aged 22-24 tend to use credit cards, but always pay them off
Figure 21: Payment methods, by gender and age, September 2012
Young adults use credit to plug holes in finances
Figure 22: Spending priorities, by preferred payment methods, September 2012
Financial prudence is en vogue
Figure 23: Attitudes towards shopping and saving money, September 2012
Home comforts
Figure 24: Attitudes towards saving money and shopping (any agree responses are shown), by current living situation, September 2012
FUTURE PRIORITIES
Key points
Focusing on savings for the future
Figure 25: Top priorities for the next 12 months, September 2012
(Un)employment prospects
Figure 26: Top priorities for the next 12 months, by employment and education status, September 2012
EVERYDAY HABITS AND SOURCES OF INFLUENCE
Key points
Pay-check is the number one priority
Figure 27: Daily routine, September 2012
Part-time students struggling to make ends meet
Figure 28: Median pay (including overtime) for each major occupation group in the UK, by age group, October-December 2011
Young females more connected with their families
Figure 29: Sources of advice, September 2012
Online reviews gain in importance amongst 22-24-year-olds
Figure 30: Sources of advice, by age, September 2012
Entertainment influencers
Figure 31: Proportion who self-identify as influencers for each area of interest, by age, 2012
Recycling more of a priority for females
Figure 32: General lifestyle and attitudes, September 2012
Nearly four in ten of those aged 16-18 support charities
Men are more brand-loyal
Figure 33: General lifestyle and attitudes, be gender and age, September 2012
TECHNOLOGY OWNERSHIP
Key points
Young adults as tech trend-setters
Figure 34: Technology devices used weekly, September 2012
Basic phone, a relic
Nearly six in ten parents pay phone bill of their 16-18-year-old daughters
Figure 35: Who pays the mobile bill? September 2012
Majority do not pay for mobile apps
Figure 36: Amount spent downloading apps for mobile or tablet in the past 12 months, September 2012
Young men willing to spend more on mobile apps
Figure 37: Amount spent downloading apps for mobiles or tablets in the past 12 months, by gender and age, September 2012
Parents control their children’s mobile spend
Figure 38: Amount spent downloading apps for mobiles or tablets in the past 12 months, by who pays the mobile bill, September 2012
Social media apps dominate downloads
Figure 39: Top categories of mobile apps accessed in the UK, April 2012
Mobile phones essential to over half of young adults
Figure 40: Attitudes towards technology, September 2012
Young women show less interest in technology
Figure 41: Attitudes towards technology, by gender, September 2012
Finances explain attitudes towards technology
Figure 42: Attitudes towards technology, by employment status, September 2012
ONLINE ACTIVITIES
Key points
Social networking trumps visits to all other websites
Figure 43: Websites visited at least weekly, September 2012
Google+ does not appeal to young adults
Figure 44: Social media websites visited at least weekly, September 2012
Youngsters crave variety
Figure 45: Social media websites visited at least weekly, September 2012
GENERAL OUTLOOK AND CONCERNS
Key points
Conservative attitudes prevail
Figure 46: Attitudes towards finances and future concerns, September 2012
Londoners fare somewhat better
Over half of part-time workers want a job that better matches their skills
Figure 47: Attitudes towards finances and future concerns, September 2012
YOUNG ADULTS’ TYPOLOGIES
Key points
Figure 48: Young adults’ typologies, September 2012
Coasting (35%)
Who are they?
Savvy Spenders (34%)
Who are they?
Financially-squeezed (30%)
Who are they?
APPENDIX – CURRENT LIVING SITUATION
Figure 49: Reasons for living in current location by current living situation, September 2012
Figure 50: Current living situation, by demographics, September 2012
Figure 51: Most popular reasons for living in current location, by demographics, September 2012
Figure 52: Next most popular reasons for living in current location, by demographics, September 2012
Figure 53: Other reasons for living in current location, by demographics, September 2012
Figure 54: Repertoire of reasons for living in current location, by demographics, September 2012
APPENDIX – FINANCES AND SPENDING PRIORITIES
Figure 55: Spending patterns, by current living situation, September 2012
Figure 56: Spending patterns, by payment methods, September 2012
Figure 57: Attitudes towards shopping, by current living situation, September 2012
Figure 58: Attitudes towards shopping, by current living situation, September 2012
Figure 59: Most popular spending patterns, by demographics, September 2012
Figure 60: Next most popular spending patterns, by demographics, September 2012
Figure 61: Payment methods, by demographics, September 2012
Figure 62: Agreement with the statements ‘It is a good feeling to know I spent less than others on the same/similar products’ and ‘I wait for special offers/sales/promotions to buy the products/brands I want’, by demographics, September 2012
Figure 63: Agreement with the statements ‘I carefully account for all my spending’ and ‘I do not like paying full-price for anything’, by demographics, September 2012
Figure 64: Agreement with the statements ‘I have a budget and stick to it all or most of the time’ and ‘I socialise at home to save money’, by demographics, September 2012
Figure 65: Agreement with the statements ‘I have put off plans to travel to save money’ and ‘I have cut back on some things so that I can keep buying my favourite products’, by demographics, September 2012
Figure 66: Agreement with the statements ‘I tend to spend money without thinking’ and ‘I find it hard to make ends meet each month’, by demographics, September 2012
Figure 67: Agreement with the statement ‘I buy what I want regardless of price’, by demographics, September 2012
Figure 68: Agreement with the statement ‘With a credit card I can buy the sort of things I could not normally afford’, by demographics, September 2012
Figure 69: Sources of advice for clothes and accessories, by demographics, September 2012
Figure 70: Sources of advice for meal outside the home of advice, by demographics, September 2012
Figure 71: Sources of advice for holidays/weekends away, by demographics, September 2012
Figure 72: Most popular sources of advice for technology devices, by demographics, September 2012
Figure 73: Next most popular sources of advice for technology devices, by demographics, September 2012
APPENDIX – FUTURE PRIORITIES
Figure 74: Most popular priorities for the next 12 months, by demographics, September 2012
Figure 75: Next most popular priorities for the next 12 months, by demographics, September 2012
Figure 76: Other priorities for the next 12 months, by demographics, September 2012
APPENDIX – EVERYDAY HABITS AND SOURCES OF INFLUENCE
Figure 77: Most popular daily routine, by demographics, September 2012
Figure 78: Next most popular daily routine, by demographics, September 2012
APPENDIX – TECHNOLOGY OWNERSHIP
Figure 79: Most popular technology devices used weekly, by demographics, September 2012
Figure 80: Next most popular technology devices used weekly, by demographics, September 2012
Figure 81: Other technology devices used weekly, by demographics, September 2012
Figure 82: Who pays the mobile bill, by demographics, September 2012
Figure 83: Amount spent downloading apps for mobile or tablet in the past 12 months, by demographics, September 2012
Figure 84: Most popular attitudes towards technology, by demographics, September 2012
Figure 85: Next most popular attitudes towards technology, by demographics, September 2012
APPENDIX – ONLINE ACTIVITIES
Figure 86: Most popular websites used at least weekly, by demographics, September 2012
Figure 87: Next most popular websites used at least weekly, by demographics, September 2012
Figure 88: Repertoire of websites used at least weekly, by demographics, September 2012
Figure 89: Social media websites used at least weekly, by demographics, September 2012
Figure 90: Repertoire for social media websites used at least weekly, by demographics, September 2012
APPENDIX – GENERAL OUTLOOK AND CONCERNS
Figure 91: Most popular attitudes towards lifestyle, by demographics, September 2012
Figure 92: Next most popular attitudes towards lifestyle, by demographics, September 2012
Figure 93: Other attitudes towards lifestyle, by demographics, September 2012
APPENDIX – YOUNG ADULTS’ TYPOLOGIES
Figure 94: Attitudes towards lifestyle target groups, by demographics, September 2012
Figure 95: Websites used at least weekly, by attitudes towards lifestyle target groups, September 2012
Figure 96: Social media websites used at least weekly, by attitudes towards lifestyle target groups, September 2012
Figure 97: Current living situation, by attitudes towards lifestyle target groups, September 2012
Figure 98: Reasons for living in the current location, by attitudes towards lifestyle target groups, September 2012
Figure 99: Spending patterns, by attitudes towards lifestyle target groups, September 2012
Figure 100: Priorities for the next 12 months, by attitudes towards lifestyle target groups, September 2012
Figure 101: Daily routine, by attitudes towards lifestyle target groups, September 2012
Figure 102: Payment methods, by attitudes towards lifestyle target groups, September 2012
Figure 103: Attitudes towards shopping, by attitudes towards lifestyle target groups, September 2012
Figure 104: Attitudes towards shopping, by attitudes towards lifestyle target groups, September 2012
Figure 105: Sources of advice, by attitudes towards lifestyle target groups, September 2012
Figure 106: Technology devices used weekly, by attitudes towards lifestyle target groups, September 2012
Figure 107: Who pays the mobile bill, by attitudes towards lifestyle target groups, September 2012
Figure 108: Amount spent downloading apps for mobile or tablet in the past 12 months, by attitudes towards lifestyle target groups, September 2012
Figure 109: Technology devices used weekly, by attitudes towards lifestyle target groups, September 2012
Figure 110: Attitudes towards lifestyle, by attitudes towards lifestyle target groups, September 2012