Youth Pulse 2026

Inequality is widening within and between generations – yet young people are redefining opportunity through innovation and entrepreneurship.Economic outlook Over the past 25 years, income inequality between countries has narrowed as developing economies have grown rapidly. Yet within countries, gaps have deepened: the United Nations estimates that 71% of the world’s population now lives in societies where inequality is rising.1 Increasingly, this divide is generational, as young people face higher living costs, job precarity and limited access to affordable housing and capital compared to their parents. Below are the economic trends that young people are tracking – the forces shaping their daily lives and informing their vision for a more inclusive and resilient global economy. Youth Pulse 2026: Insights from the next generation for a changing world 8