Research and analysis

Growing Up in the 2020s: first survey of young people at age 12 and 13

Findings from the first survey of young people and their families in the Growing Up in the 2020s longitudinal study.

• From: Department for Education
• Published: 1 October 2026

Applies to England

Documents

Research brief

HTML

Growing Up in the 2020s: first survey of young people at age 12 and 13 – research report

Ref: ISBN 978-1-83870-839-9, RR1654

PDF, 4.75 MB, 287 pages

Growing Up in the 2020s: wave 1 technical report

Ref: ISBN 978-1-83870-844-3, RR1654/1

PDF, 2.42 MB, 105 pages

Details

The Growing Up in the 2020s study collects longitudinal statistical evidence on the factors that influence young people’s education and wellbeing outcomes throughout secondary education and into post-16 destinations.

This report presents findings from the study’s first wave of data collection. It provides baseline data on cohort members in year 8 (aged 12 and 13 in the 2024 to 2025 academic year) and covers a range of aspects of young people’s lives, including:

• physical and mental health
• cognitive development
• family relationships
• socioeconomic circumstances
• peer experiences and friendships
• school belonging, engagement and attendance
• enrichment activities
• self-reported social media use

Published 1 October 2026