Young people will be forced out of British cities due to soaring prices, report warns

The largest urban youth survey of its kind identified safety, employment and affordability as key factors pushing millennials out of their home city

Londoners placed the highest importance on affordability – second only to Medellin in Colombia (Pawel Libera)

High living costs, limited job opportunities and safety concerns will force millions of young people to move away from their home city, researchers have warned.

The largest ever urban youth survey examining reactions from so-called millennials around the world found that 58 per cent of young people surveyed plan to leave their city within the next ten years.

Of 34 cities surveyed, Londoners placed the highest importance on affordability – second only to Medellin in Colombia – suggesting that high rents and soaring house prices could force many to move out to cheaper towns.

Over 15,000 15-34 year-olds responded to the study, offering opinions on what they thought was important for urban living.

The report identified a generation that is happy, healthy and creative, but concerned that they won’t earn as much as their parents – just 31 per cent of those surveyed said they felt they would be better off financially.

Along with Around 71 per cent of North Americans said there would most likely move cities within the next ten years – suggesting their concerns for affordability and career ambitions were even higher than their European and Asian counterparts.

Robert Barnard, co-founder of YouthfulCities, who produced the report, said: “The threat of mass Millennial Generation migration will create winning and losing cities. This generation, like no other before it, will vote with their feet to find cities they can prosper in. The world is a more open place than ever, reducing the barriers to move. Some cities will seize this unprecedented opportunity. Others will be left behind.”

As well as a general lack of affordability, the majority of participants worldwide said their primary concern was safety, with culture including film, fashion and arts at the bottom of their priorities.

For the second year in a row, Millennials rated safety as the most important Urban Attribute globally. When asked if they believed their cities were performing well in terms of improving safety, the overwhelming answer was negative.

Only 17 per cent of Millennials said they felt their city governments were listening to their concerns.

In the majority of cities, access to post-secondary education was ranked of high importance, but around 43 per cent of millennials reported that they didn’t feel they had the skills to get the job the wanted, suggesting there are global concerns over whether higher education institutions are doing enough to prepare graduates for the job market.