The most pressing concerns for young people in Ireland are housing and the cost of living, according to new research from the National Youth Council of Ireland (NYCI) and Ipsos.
The study looked at the challenges facing 18 to 29-year-olds, including accommodation difficulties, financial strain and low mental well-being.
It shows that nearly half of young people are dissatisfied with their current housing situation and more than half of those with rental or mortgage payments have seen costs rise in the past year.
According to the research, more than one-in-five have skipped meals due to financial constraints and half of 18 to 29-year-olds have low mental well-being.
Women reported worse mental and financial wellbeing, lower satisfaction with pay and conditions, were coping worse with the cost of living and are more likely to feel they are worse off than their parents' generation.
The NYCI report is recommending a wide range of actions including tackling housing and accommodation issues via short-term measures like rent caps, and long-term solutions such as increasing social and affordable housing supply.
'Alarming' report findings - NYCI
The council is calling for sub-minimum wage rates to be abolished for under 20s and is recommending the introduction of strategies focused on young women’s needs as well as reducing the gender pay gap.
It also seeking measures to alleviate cost-of-living pressures by reducing education fees and enhancing rural public transport.
NYCI Director of Policy and Advocacy Paul Gordon described the report's findings as alarming and said that they should serve as a wake-up call to the Government.
"Young people’s fear of being worse off than their parents is real, driven by housing challenges and economic precarity," Mr Gordon said.
"More than half live with family, one in two have experienced rent increases in the past year, with some facing rises of up to 30%, and this is pushing aspirations of home ownership further out of reach," he added.
The research included a survey with a nationally representative sample of 750 young adults, as well as a digital diary involving 21 participants who used a mobile app to record selfie videos over seven days.
One survey respondent from Co Kilkenny said: "Ireland is one of the hardest places to live.
"Based on my own experience I would say due to just the basic living. That's me, working full time in a job since I was 17."
Another respondent from Co Cork said she and her partner had decided to move to New Zealand.
"I never thought about leaving the country until last year, and now me and my partner have decided to go to New Zealand. The housing situation is so bad here, I have had a lot of friends leave. I didn’t think we would be next, but unfortunately, we are."
One survey respondent from Co Dublin said the cost of rent has stopped her from saving money altogether.
"I am on an entry level salary so I’m living month to month at the moment. I really don’t have disposable income at the moment. Rent is a big part of where my finances go".
Another respondent said she thought her financial situation would improve once she finished her studies.
"As a student you just get by, but you have this idea that once you get into the working world it will all change and you will have money and be able to live comfortably, but the reality is it’s just not like that," she said.
The NYCI is calling on the Government to tackle the challenges experienced by young people in Ireland.
"The findings underscore a generation for whom the basic social contract appears broken, with hard work no longer a guarantee of security," Mr Gordon said.
"Our recommendations aim to restore hope and support for young people, many of whom are despondent about their future."
Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, he said: "There's a real sense of frustration and of aspirations held back. It's a generation that really, I think feels a sense of arrested development and the housing crisis is a real critical driver of that."
He said that over time, young people are increasingly reliant on parents for financial support, "and that increases the pressure on parents as well", which is driving challenges in relationships too.
Additional reporting: Eleanor Mannion
