Preparing for adulthood Snapshots

Financial security

In 2019, 41% of young people aged 15-19 years in South Australia reported not feeling at all concerned about financial security. However, for some financial security is a concern as they prepare for independence. In 2019, 17% of 15-19 year olds reported feeling very or extremely concerned about their financial security, a slight decrease from 2018 (18%) and slightly lower than the national average (18%).

In 2019, 22% of 15-19 year olds in South Australia reported feeling slightly concerned and 20% reported feeling somewhat concerned.

Life satisfaction

In 2018, 76% of 18 year olds in South Australia reported being satisfied with their lives overall, a slightly lower proportion than the national average (78%). In 2016, when this cohort of young people was 16 years old, 79% had reported being satisfied with their lives overall and, in 2017 when they were 17 years old, 81% had reported being satisfied with their lives overall.

In 2018, 18 year old males (78%) were more likely to report being satisfied with their lives overall than females (75%), a reverse from 2016 when they were 16 years old (females 81%; males 77%).

In 2018, 95% of Aboriginal 18 year olds in South Australia reported being satisfied with their lives overall. (In 2016, at 16 years of age, 67% had reported being satisfied with their lives overall).