Half of young people say they would never fight for Britain in a war, poll shows
Half of young people say they would never fight for Britain in a war, poll shows
Bryony GoochWed, April 22, 2026 at 8:39 AM UTC
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Half of young people have said they would never take up arms for Britain as more prioritise domestic issues such as the cost of living over global conflict.
A survey of 2,000 16-to 29-year-olds, called the Youth Poll and commissioned by the John Smith Centre at Glasgow University, found that young people express “cautious internationalism,” with concerns about global conflict and scepticism towards military action, and that interviewees believe contemporary wars to be pointless or politically driven.
Asked whether they would be willing to go to war for their country, 50 per cent said they would never take up arms, and only 38 per cent said they would do so under some circumstances. This willingness dropped to 32 per cent when asked about fighting for Europe.
Optimism appears to be dwindling among young people, according to the poll (Getty Images)
One interviewee said, according to the Youth Poll: “No citizens actually want war, it’s just the leaders ordering things.”
The survey also marked a massive drop in the number of young people who expect a better future than their parents. The number of people who expected their lives to be better than their parents' halved in a year, from 63 per cent to just 36 per cent.
Eddie Barnes, director of the John Smith Centre, explained that the generation’s lack of optimism for the future meant it was no surprise that many wouldn’t fight for their country.
“The idea that the next generation will have it better than previous ones has been a founding belief for decades,” he said. “Today’s poll shows that the majority of this generation of young people no longer believe it to be true. And it reveals their loss of belief is collapsing at speed.
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“On the upside, young people remain broadly optimistic about their future and want to engage in politics and public life. But locked out of the housing market, pinned down by low wages, loaded by student debt, and increasingly worried about the rise in AI, young people today feel a growing sense of unfairness about the world around them.
“In those circumstances, it should be little surprise that 50 per cent say they wouldn’t fight for the country under any circumstances. Or as many young people might put it: why fight for a country that isn’t fighting for you?”
Cost of living remains an important issue for young people, the poll shows (PA Archive)
“Governments across the UK and all political parties need to listen and set out the practical policies that will restore young people’s faith in the future.”
While reluctant to enter combat, 43 per cent believe the UK has a responsibility to intervene in other countries to challenge human rights abuses.
Defence and security ranked low in young people’s domestic priorities despite ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East. Only nine per cent placed defence and security in their top five issues for the UK – lower than concerns such as the cost of living, housing and healthcare.
Cost of living and inflation ranked far above defence and European relations in terms of the UK’s top issues, showing that financial pressures remain a priority for young people.
Financial worries, job insecurity or unemployment and housing instability were the top personal concerns listed by young people in the poll who felt higher wages and affordable housing would improve their lives.
Source: “AOL Breaking”
