This population group considers that the Government is not fulfilling the promises it made in the electoral campaign.
The favorability that President Gustavo Petro had among young people began to fall. While in November 2022 it was 61%, in May 2023 it reached 46%, that is, a 15-point drop in less than five months.
This was stated by Alejandro Cheyne, rector of the Universidad del Rosario, when delivering the results of the Seventh Perception Study What do young people in Colombia think, feel and want?
This study by the Universidad del Rosario, which had the support of the German Hanns Seidel Foundation, El Tiempo Casa Editorial and the firm Cifras y Conceptos, surveyed 2,044 young people between the ages of 18 and 32 in Bogotá, Medellín, Barranquilla, San Andrés, Cali, Pasto, Bucaramanga, Cúcuta, Montería, Pereira, Quibdó and Arauca, who represent a universe of 4,260,000 young people.
In the survey, it is striking that the favorability of the head of state decreases at all socioeconomic levels, especially among young people with a low socioeconomic level: from 61% in November it dropped to 46% in May. The same trend is observed in respondents of high socioeconomic level, where it falls from 59% to 43% and in those of medium socioeconomic level, from 62% to 51%, Cheyne said.
If the figures are analyzed by gender, the image of Gustavo Petro fell 17 percentage points in men (from 66% to 49%) and 12 points in women (from 56% to 44%) in the same period.
Perception of the new government
The image of Francia Márquez does not go well with young people. While 38% rate it as favorable, 48% consider it unfavorable. Although the vice president’s favorability is 68% for young people on the left, these percentages are low among young people with ideology of the center (33%) and right (27%).
For Cheyne, a telling fact is that 61% of young people believe that the Government is not fulfilling the promises it made in the presidential campaign, a trend that is reflected in almost all regions of the country: Orinoquía 79%, Oriente 67%, coast 65%, central 65%, Antioquia 64%, Bogotá 60%, West 53% and Pacific 53%.
In addition to the above, 65% of the country’s young people do not feel represented by the Government at this time, especially young people in Orinoquía (11%), Antioquia (21%), Oriente (21%) and Bogotá ( 31%).
Link to the labor market
Of the young people surveyed who are currently working, 60% indicated that they feel happy with their job and 54% consider that with it they are fulfilling their dreams.
They consider that the main barrier to access their first job is that they require a lot of work experience (63%). In a smaller proportion they indicated that salaries are very low (21%) and that there is no work in the city (8%).
When looking for work, young people take into account salary (99%), flexible hours (93%), potential professional development (89%), the prestige of the employer (83%), teleworking (79%) and the hybrid work method (77%).
In addition, the three elements that they prioritize to be included in their employment contract are: time flexibility, grow professionally and have an indefinite termaspects that must be taken into account in the midst of the labor reform presented by the Government, noted the rector.
It is also important for young people that the organization allows professional growth or a medium-term career possibility, that it has a healthy work environment and that it works to improve the world.
They consider that not having a job can affect their life project in areas such as: expanding their knowledge, anxiety about the future, becoming independent from their parents, personal frustration, feeling of failure and having children.
Regional elections 2023
In the next regional elections for Mayor and Governor, to be held in October, 75% of young people plan to go out and vote and 21% would not.
The proposals that young people would like to hear from the candidates are: support the first job for young people (49%), improve security (45%), promote entrepreneurship (31%), improve quality and care in health centers (29%) and reduce corruption (25%).
When asked if they would vote for a candidate close to the Government of Gustavo Petro for the next regional elections, 54% of the young people surveyed said no. It is striking that 24% of these respondents identify themselves as left, said the rector of the Universidad del Rosario.
By region, this position of not voting for a candidate close to the Government is the majority in the Orinoquía (77%), Oriente (69%), Antioquia (63%), the center of the country (59%), the Coast (57%) and Bogota (52%).
Only 32% would vote for a candidate of the current government, especially in the West of the country (41%) and the Pacific region (49%).
Regarding the profile of the candidates for whom they would vote, young people would look for someone with political experience (40%), who knows economics (35%) and social issues (34%), a social leader (32%), with academic preparation (28%), young person (26%), woman (18%), environmental activist (17%) and academic (11%).
Confidence of young people in institutions
Public universities (74%) and private universities (61%) continue to be the institutions that generate the greatest trust among young people, a trend that has been maintained in all perception surveys since January 2020, highlighted the rector. They are followed by the Registrar’s Office (55%), the Military Forces (52%) and the Ombudsman’s Office (48%).
On the opposite side, the institutions that generate the greatest distrust among young people are political parties (80%), digital influencers (80%), non-Catholic Christian religious leaders (73%), the Congress of the Republic (72% ), the media (70%), the National Electoral Council (66%), the National Police (66%) and social networks (64%).
youth concerns
Insecurity on the streets (57%), lack of employment (43%) and delays in health care (39%) continue to be the main problems that most affect young people. They are followed by lack of access to higher education (21%), acts of corruption (20%), poverty (20%) and inequality (17%).
What affects them the least at the moment is the non-compliance with the peace agreements and the political polarization (4%), Cheyne commented.
To solve the country’s problems, young people are willing to denounce (83%), to associate with organizations in defense of animals (80%), to demand accountability from governments (73%) and to associate with environmental organizations (69% ).
Only 17% of those surveyed would be willing to pay more taxes, join political organizations (23%) or participate in politics (27%), added the rector of Rosario.
Negative perception of cities
Compared to 4 years ago, young people consider that today the city they live in is worse off (51%), especially women (55%).
By region, 81% of young people from Orinoquía have this perception, 67% from the Pacific, 61% from the East of the country, 59% from the West, 52% from Bogotá, and 52% from the Coast. 45% and Antioquia 41%.
emotions of young people
It is noteworthy that 57% of young people are totally satisfied with their lives, a percentage that rose three points compared to that registered last November. Only 6% are totally dissatisfied, Cheyne said.
By region, those most satisfied with their lives are young people from the Center of the country (64%), Orinoquía (62%), the West (59%) and Bogotá (57%). The most dissatisfied are those of the Colombian Pacific (35%).
Joy (65%) continues to be the emotion that predominates among young people in the country, followed by surprise (39%), fear (23%) and sadness (18%). 47% consider that they are managing their emotions very well in different situations of daily life (51% men and 42% women).
To manage the management of their emotions, 65% of young people stop negative thoughts, 39% take a few seconds before communicating their emotions, 23% speak better and more positively, 18% think and visualize the situation in the medium and long term analyzing its consequences, 13% meditate, 12% perform breathing exercises and 6% remain silent.
Likewise, when they have needed emotional support, they have found it mainly in family (64%) and friends (34%). Only 8% have turned to mental health professionals such as psychologists or psychiatrists, warned the rector of the Universidad del Rosario.