COVID-19 has been named as the most important national issue by young Victorians for the second year in a row.
The virus was followed by the environment, equity and discrimination, and mental health as the big issues concerning young people in the state.
More than 4600 Victorians aged 15 to 19 were surveyed between April and August 2021 by Mission Australia.
The findings are included in their Youth Survey Report 2021 released on Wednesday.
"Young people are showing they're aware of and care about social and personal issues affecting themselves, their peers and their country," Mission Australia's State Director Michele Leonard said.
"Listening to and acting on these crucial insights has always been vital and is now more pressing than ever as we round out our second year of COVID-19 pandemic challenges."
She said now was a critical time to make sure young people were heard.
Not only was COVID-19 the top issue for the second year in a row, concern has increased from 41.9 per cent to 48.3 per cent.
The top three areas Victorian youth identified as being negatively impacted by COVID-19 were participation in activities (78.4 per cent), education (77.7 per cent) and mental health (68.9 per cent).
A higher number of females (76.3 per cent) than males (54.8 per cent) said their mental health had been negatively impacted by COVID-19.
Australian Associated Press
