The 6 Most Important Issues in the World, According to Millennials

We all know that millennials have a lot of feelings. It's that abundance of feelings that countless brands, marketers, and entrepreneurs have seized upon, crafting their products to the needs of the 20-something, shifting their messaging to be more in line with the ideals that millennials embrace. But while it's easy to identify and target a specific demographic, success among a particular generation is far less frequent. It can be incredibly difficult to separate what a group cares most about from what it is they want others to believe is their raison d'être — and those two sentiments are not always in line with one another.

As the first age group to enter maturity with access to the internet and social media, millennials have a unique brand of public persona that can sometimes be completely independent from an individual's true feelings. As a result, it's hard to predict what apps will be popular with millennials a week from now — let alone what global issues they find to be of most concern. That is, until the Global Shapers Survey came along.

Now in its third year, the World Economic Fund's annual poll measures the pulse of millennials on issues ranging from economic inequality to climate change and everything in between. The nearly 25,000 participants in the 2017 survey came from 186 different countries, and those involved were asked questions pertaining not only their city or town, but also about the world they live in.

Ahead, we've highlighted the top six issues that matter the most to millennials, according to this year's study. For a more in-depth look at what these findings mean, check out the full report or head over to the Global Shapers site for more information.