Many Japanese Teens Suffering from Lack of Self-Esteem

The Nippon Foundation recently surveyed 1,000 teenagers aged from 17 to 19 in six countries–Japan, the United States, Britain, China, South Korea, and India. Asked if they had any ambitions for the future, a total of 88.4% of respondents from India and 88.2% from China answered either “yes” or “to some extent.” In contrast, only 60.1% of respondents from Japan said the same.

When further asked if they “feel needed by others” and “have a personality that people appreciate,” again fewer than 60% of Japanese agreed, revealing the lowest response by far among all the countries.

Japanese young people were shown to have lower self-esteem and less likely to “have things I am passionate about” and “have goals and direction in life,” when compared to those in other countries. In 2023, Japan’s GDP may have been overtaken by Germany’s, falling from third place to fourth, but it is still an affluent, safe country with a high level of education. This survey though reveals that its young people are feeling a lack of hope.

The survey, conducted online from late February to early March 2024, was aimed at 1,000 young people aged 17 to 19 in each country.

(Translated from Japanese. Banner photo © Pixta.)