20/05/2007
Irish youth failing to use their voice in elections
Irish Youth are allowing their voice to be ignored at national level by not using their vote in national elections. New figures released today by leading international consumer think-tank, The Future Foundation, an Experian company, reveal that in the last general election, just 42% of young people aged between 18 and 24 actually voted.
According to the Future Foundation’s pan-European statistics, Irish youth rank just 15th in Europe in terms of voting, far behind the top ranking nation, Sweden, where 85% of 18-24 years olds voted in the most recent election of their national government.
The figures also revealed that just 8% of young Irish aged 16-24 have taken part in lawful demonstrations in order to help highlight dissatisfaction with how their country is run or to try to improve it. This pales when compared to Spanish youth, where 44% reported taking part in such demonstrations.
While most young Irish people seem to be ambivalent to politics, this lack of ‘active action’ is not isolated to just the political arena. When asked it they had boycotted any product in the last 12 months, just 10% had, whereas 28% of Swedes said that they had boycotted products for various reasons.
When asked it they would continue to obey the law, even if it meant missing out on various ‘good opportunities’, young Irish showed themselves to the among the most law-abiding citizens in Europe. 68% of Irish youths aged 15+ said that they would obey the law, compared to 74% of Portuguse young people.
In relation to environmental issues, just 31% of young Irish felt that taxes on international air travel should be increased in order to prevent environmental pollution, an issue that was of more concern in France where 43% of young people felt that a rise in taxes was warranted.
The survey showed that young Irish people do not see drinking at home as a cause of concern. When it comes to alcohol related issues, and whether the government should actively discourage people from drinking alcohol at home, just 31% of young Irish people felt action was required, far behind Italy, where 60% of young people felt that their government should take action on the issue. The least concerned in this regard were young Czechs, with just 11% reporting that their government should take step to highlight the issue.
Meabh Quoirin, Director of The Future Foundation, said “Irish youth of today are showing some major differences to their European counterparts in relation to such things as politics, voicing their opinion on topical issues and respecting the law. This is further proof of the differences inherent between age, country and topic within Europe. Irish marketers need to ensure they constantly challenge and refresh their understanding of this market, for the creation of more effective products, services and brand messages.”
Note to Editor – The Europe-wide survey had a sample of over 34,000 people. In Ireland at least 2,000 participants were surveyed on each issue.
For further press information please contact:
Stephen McNamara
MRPA KINMAN
01 – 703 8603
087 – 917 6941
Laurie Mannix
MRPA KINMAN
01 – 703 8620
About Future Foundation
The Future Foundation is a leading international consumer think-tank and strategic consultancy. Specialising in understanding socio-economic change and consumer behaviour, the Future Foundation provides intelligent research, analysis and commentary. Its research and analysis is used in development of new products and services, to inspire marketing and communications programmes, and to instil awareness of the wider operating environment throughout client organisations.
The Future Foundation’s clients range across most sectors and in many countries; they include over 170 organisations from financial services, manufacturing and automotive through to advertising agencies and government departments.
About Experian
Experian is a global leader in providing analytical and information services to organisations and consumers to help manage the risk and reward of commercial and financial decisions.
Combining its unique information tools and deep understanding of individuals, markets and economies, Experian partners with organisations around the world to establish and strengthen customer relationships and provide their businesses with competitive advantage.
For consumers, Experian delivers critical information that enables them to make financial and purchasing decisions with greater control and confidence.
Clients include organisations from financial services, retail and catalogue, telecommunications, utilities, media, insurance, automotive, leisure, e-commerce, manufacturing, property and government sectors.
Experian Group Limited is listed on the London Stock Exchange (EXPN) and is a constituent of the FTSE-100 index. It has corporate headquarters in Dublin, Ireland, and operational headquarters in Costa Mesa, California and Nottingham, UK. Experian employs more than 12,500 people in 34 countries worldwide, supporting clients in more than 60 countries. Annual sales are $3.1 billion (€2.5 billion).
For more information, visit the Group's website on www.experiangroup.com.
The word 'Experian' is a registered trademark in the EU and other countries and is owned by Experian Ltd and/or its associated companies.