The Worldwide Independent Network of MR (WIN), the leading global association of independent market research and polling firms, has released new findings from its Worldviews Survey. This year’s survey captures the perspective and beliefs of 35,515 individuals across 40 countries. As we mark International Youth Day, the latest findings reveal a clear shift in how people around the world perceive youthfulness. The perception of youth is one shaped by culture, societal expectations, and economic pressures. By tracking trends over six years, WIN has assessed and provided valuable insights into how these perceptions are changing over time.
Rethinking youth: A conversation starter
This International Youth Day, WIN calls for a more nuanced, inclusive conversation around what it means to be young – especially within institutions and policy-making bodies.
Sociologists and philosophers have long argued that youth is not simply a stage of life, but a mindset. Pierre Bourdieu famously said “Youth is just a word”, implying it is a socially constructed myth that masks the reality of class, time, and power.
In today’s rapidly shifting world, his statement rings truer than ever. Youth can be a privilege, a burden, or a goal – depending on a person’s economic situation and cultural context.
As the boundaries of age become more fluid, we should be asking: who gets to be considered youth, and for how long? What does ‘being young’ really mean in today’s society?
The answer is more complex than a birthdate on a certificate.
Let’s dive into the findings:
No one definition of ‘youth’, but the global perception is confined to a narrowing window
International organisations often define youth using fixed age brackets – the United Nations, for example, classifies youth as those aged 15 to 24. Others extend the upper limit to 29 or even 35, particularly when considering transitions into employment or higher education. But the WIN Worldviews Survey reveals a striking disconnect between these formal definitions and how people feel. In many countries, people continue to feel young well into their 40s or 50s, even if they’re no longer officially ‘youth’.
In 2025, the global average age at which people say they stop feeling young is 41, which is down from 44 in 2018 – pointing to a narrowing ‘window of youth’ around the world. This global average reveals some deep regional and cultural contrasts. For example, people in Europe report feeling young until 44, while in Africa, that sense of youth fades earlier, at 36.
Even within regions, the differences are dramatic. In Thailand, people say they stop feeling young at just 26, whereas in South Korea, that age jumps to 51. These findings highlight that the concept of youth isn’t just biological or institutional – it’s culturally constructed, shaped by social context, personal expectations, and lived realities.
Ultimately, the study underscores that youth isn’t defined by a number and certainly not by a one-size-fits-all definition from global organisations.
Richard Colwell, President of WIN International Association, said:
“Age is not just a number – it’s a narrative. The age at which people feel they stop being young is a mirror of social pressures, economic prospects, and cultural stories about vitality, responsibility, and relevance. With the findings of the Worldview Survey, WIN hopes to spark deeper conversations about what it really means to be young – and who is afforded that label.”