Voices for Choices – Is Europe ageing fairly?

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Europe’s ageing population is no longer a distant trend. It is becoming one of the defining political and economic realities of the coming decades, and younger generations are likely to feel many of its consequences most strongly.

In our latest report, “Voices for Choices: is Europe ageing fairly?”, Friends of Europe’s citizen engagement unit, Debating Europe, asked 2,000 people aged 18–35 in Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Poland and Spain to share their views on pensions, housing, healthcare and care, education and skills and work.

Their answers show that ageing is not just about public budgets or long-term planning. It is also about intergenerational fairness: whether the systems young people are paying into today will support them tomorrow.

Many are already dealing with insecure work, unaffordable housing, stretched public services and uncertainty about the future. Across countries and contexts, their views point to a growing concern about fairness between generations and how Europe’s social contract needs to reflect today’s realities.

As we continue our work to rethink the roles and responsibilities of citizens, governments and businesses towards one another, this report brings young people’s voices into the conversation about how Europe can build a social contract that works better and more fairly, for everyone.

Read the full report to explore the findings, and stay connected for more discussions, events and activities throughout the year.