Top 10 Findings: Arab Youth Survey 2014

The 6th Annual ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller Arab Youth Survey 2014 was conducted by international polling firm PSB to explore attitudes among Arab youth in 16 countries in the Middle East and North Africa.

Around 3,500 face-to-face interviews were conducted between December 2013 and January 2014 with Arab men and women in the age group of 18 to 24.

The aim of this annual survey, now in its sixth year, is to present evidence-based insights into the attitudes of Arab youth, providing public and private sector organisations with data and analysis to inform their decision-making and policy formation.

Here are the top findings from the survey:

1. A growing number of Arab youth are embracing modern values, while family, friends and religion continue to shape their opinions and influence their lives.
2. Youngsters are confident in their national governments’ ability to deal with a wide range of issues. Confidence in the long term impact of the Arab Spring is dropping
3. Rising living costs and unemployment are the biggest concerns for youth across the Middle East
4. Arab youth believe that civil unrest is the biggest obstacle facing the region
5. Entrepreneurial spirit is high and a growing number of young Arabs would like to work in the private sector
6. The UAE is the country that most Arab youth would like to live in and is seen as a model for their country to emulate
7. Arab youth consider their country’s biggest allies to be regional neighbours such as Saudi Arabia and the UAE rather than traditional  Western countries 
8. Arab youth are increasingly concerned about obesity and lifestyle diseases and do not believe that healthcare in their country is improving 
9. An overwhelming majority of young Arabs believe they are entitled to subsidised energy costs, while concern about climate change is low across the region
10. Television is the most popular source of news for the sixth year running, but a growing number of young Arabs are turning to online and social networks to get their news​