People imagine beaches, sport, sunshine, and chill energy. Real life for many young Australians is more like:
heavy stress, anxiety, vaping, sleep debt, body image pressure, and mental health
as the main health story.

Who are Australia’s young people?

• Population: ~3.3 million aged 15–24.
• Where they live: ~75% in major cities; ~20% in lowest socioeconomic
  areas.
• Diversity: ~21% born overseas; ~5.3% Aboriginal and Torres Strait
  Islander young people.

Where you live, how much money your family has, and whether you face discrimination all shape stress, access to
care, school outcomes, and injury risk.

#1 headline: Mental health is the biggest health burden

For ages 15–24, the top contributors to health burden are mental health conditions, substance use disorders,
and injuries.

• Females: anxiety disorders #1, followed by depression, eating
  disorders, bipolar disorder, asthma.
• Males: suicide/self‑inflicted injuries #1, then anxiety, depression,
  autism spectrum disorders, asthma.

Psychological distress

• Mental disorders (12‑month): almost 2 in 5 (≈38.8%) aged 16–24.
• Gender gap: ~45.5% of young women vs ~32.4% of young men.
• High/very high distress: about a quarter of young people, higher in
  young women.

Chronic conditions

Most young people report at least one long‑term condition.

• Any chronic condition: ~77% of 15–24‑year‑olds.
• Short‑sightedness (myopia): ~28%.
• Hay fever/allergic rhinitis: ~27%.
• Anxiety: ~26%.
• Depression: ~17%.

“Chronic condition” isn’t always dramatic—it can be the quiet stuff that still messes with your day: allergies,
anxiety, breathing issues, sleep, concentration.

Injury & death

Hospital injuries

• Hospitalised injuries: ~68,200 cases in 2021–22 (~2,200 per 100,000
  aged 15–24).
• Leading causes: contact with objects, transport accidents, other
  unintentional causes.

Deaths (hard truth)

• Leading cause of death: injuries (~69% of deaths in 15–24‑year‑olds).
• Suicide: about half of all injury deaths.

This is why mental health support isn’t “extra”—it’s safety.

Body weight

• Ages 15–17: ~26% overweight or obese.
• Ages 18–24: ~42% overweight or obese.
• Children 5–17 overall: overweight/obesity ~28% in 2022 (up from 25% in
  2017–18).

Substance use

Smoking is down. Vaping is way up.

• Daily smoking: historic lows among youth.
• Vaping 14–17: ~1.8% (2019) → ~9.7% (2022–23).
• Vaping 18–24: ~5.3% (2019) → ~21% (2022–23).

Vapes didn’t just replace cigarettes—they became their own thing: candy‑tech marketing, real addiction risk.

Sexual health

• Sexual experience (14–18): ~61% reported sexual experience/being
  sexually active.
• Condom at last encounter: ~49%.
• Info sources: friends (~77%), websites (~57%), but GPs most trusted
  (~78%).
• Sex/relationship education: 96% say it matters; only ~25% say their
  last class was very/extremely relevant.

Health services

• Mental‑health‑specific services: ages 12–24 = ~23% of people receiving
  Medicare‑subsidised mental‑health services.
• Most common contact: GP visits.

A system can exist and still be hard to access—especially outside cities or when money, transport, or stigma
get in the way.

There isn’t one official report literally titled “United States – Health of Young
People (15–24)”, but there is a strong data backbone from CDC, Youth.gov, HHS, and WHO that
paints a clear picture of U.S. adolescents and young adults.

Country snapshot in 2026: United States

Where the U.S. data comes from

• CDC FastStats – Adolescent Health: covers ~12–17 and 12–19 (general
  health, obesity, smoking, alcohol, school absences).
• Youth.gov federal data: pulls from Monitoring the Future and other
  surveys on substance use, attitudes, and behaviors.
• CDC/Verywell Health summaries: highlight leading causes of death and
  injury for ages 20–24, including suicide and homicide.
• HHS Office of Population Affairs: adolescent health data for ages
  10–24 (demographics, health behaviors, emotional well‑being, risk behaviors).
• WHO adolescent & young adult health: global context for ages 10–24.

Mental health (U.S. teens & young adults)

U.S. high school data show a serious mental‑health wave among teens:

• Persistent sadness/hopelessness: roughly 4 in 10 high school students
  report feeling this way for long periods.
• Suicidal thoughts & behavior: a significant share seriously consider
  suicide, and a smaller but deeply concerning share report attempts.

For young adults (20–24), CDC and related summaries show mental health, substance use, and injuries as major
drivers of lost healthy years—similar to Australia.

Leading causes of death (young adults)

For ages roughly 15–24, U.S. data consistently show:

• Injuries (unintentional): motor‑vehicle crashes, overdoses, and other
  accidents are major causes.
• Suicide: one of the top causes of death in this age group.
• Homicide: especially impactful in some communities and demographic
  groups.

Just like in Australia, mental health and safety are tightly linked—emotional distress, substance use, and
access to lethal means all matter.

Chronic conditions & lifestyle

U.S. adolescent health data show a familiar pattern:

• Obesity & overweight: a substantial share of U.S. teens and young
  adults live with excess weight, mirroring global trends.
• Chronic conditions: asthma, mental health conditions, and other
  long‑term issues are common in adolescence and early adulthood.
• Health behaviors: physical inactivity, screen time, and diet patterns
  contribute to long‑term risk.

Substance use & risk behaviors

Youth.gov and Monitoring the Future data highlight:

• Alcohol & drug use: many U.S. teens experiment with alcohol, cannabis,
  and other substances during high school and college years.
• Vaping: e‑cigarette use surged among U.S. teens over the last decade,
  becoming a major nicotine exposure route.
• Risk behaviors: substance use often clusters with other risks (unsafe
  driving, unsafe sex, school problems).

Sexual health & relationships

U.S. adolescent health data show:

• Sexual activity: a significant portion of high school students report
  having had sexual intercourse.
• Contraception: condom and contraceptive use is common but not
  universal, leaving gaps in protection.
• Information sources: teens rely on friends, social media, and school
  health classes—with big variation in quality and relevance.

Access to care

HHS and CDC data show that:

• Insurance coverage: many young people are covered through parents,
  Medicaid/CHIP, or student plans—but gaps remain.
• Mental‑health services: demand is high, but access can be limited by
  cost, geography, stigma, and provider shortages.
• Primary care: regular checkups are common, but not universal, and
  preventive counseling (mental health, substance use, sexual health) varies widely.