Year13 & Scape Australia Launch Gen Z Wellbeing Index 2025 Report

 

15 June 2025, Sydney

The Gen Z wellbeing Index 2025 report, conducted by digital youth engagement platform Year13 in partnership with Scape, Australia’s largest owner and operator of purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA), paints a stark picture of youth health engagement – with 40% admitting they hadn’t had a health check overall in the past 12 months – and is showing minimal improvement in key wellbeing indicators, despite rising rates over the past year.

The report surveyed over 3,000 young people aged 18–24 across Australia, including more than 1,000 Scape residents, providing a unique comparison between national trends and young people living in student-specific accommodation. While the nation’s youth are grappling with serious mental health and wellbeing challenges, the study also reveals a critical lack of engagement with basic health check-ups.

“We’re seeing a real mismatch between the risks facing Gen Z and the actions they’re taking to protect themselves,” said Scape CEO, Anouk Darling. “This isn’t just a health issue, it’s a cultural and systemic one. We need to make health literacy and access part of everyday life for young people,” she added.

While mental health remains a core challenge – with 55% reporting anxiety, 42% low self-esteem, and 34% coping with depression – the report shows a slow shift toward help-seeking behaviour.

Encouragingly, over half (55%) of Gen Zs have accessed mental health therapy at some point. Despite this, only 31% have had a mental health check in the past 12 months, and 41% say they’ve had no health assessments at all – pointing to broader issues around access, affordability, and prioritisation of care.

The external world is also weighing heavily, with cost of living (79%), housing affordability (68%), violence against women (59%), war and geopolitical tension (54%) and the rise of AI (42%) among Gen Z’s top stressors.

The report also found that Scape residents consistently outperform their peers across multiple wellbeing indicators, suggesting that environment plays a significant role in shaping health outcomes. Some stand- outs include: reports of excellent mental health(11% of Scape residents vs 5% nationally), lower anxiety and depression rates: anxiety (37% vs 55%), depression (18% vs 34%), better sleep: 37% of Scape residents get enough vs 31% nationally, more energy: 16% of residents wake feeling refreshed vs just 4% of their peers, and better nutrition habits: 22% of Scape residents cook daily, compared to only 7% nationally.

“At Scape, we’re deeply invested in understanding and supporting the whole student,” Ms Darling continued. “This research continues to validate our belief that the right environment – complete with wellbeing programs, nutrition support, and social connectivity – can change the trajectory of a young person’s health. Purpose-built student living really is a potential game changer.”

Since the initial launch of the Wellbeing Index in 2023, Scape has introduced a range of targeted initiatives and programs focused on physical and emotional wellbeing, benefiting both staff and residents. These include the introduction of bespoke training such as the "Supportive Conversations" partnership with Headspace, launched in November 2024, and Mental Health First Aid, aimed at improving mental health literacy and support for our teams, while also enhancing our ability to assist residents in need. Our residents also benefit from nutrition-focused programs, and education around physical and emotional wellbeing.

The latest findings from the Gen Z Wellbeing Index 2025 serve as both a wake-up call and a blueprint for change. They highlight the urgency for better health education, greater access to preventative care, and more intentional living environments – especially for a generation facing increasing complexity and pressure.

“We need to normalise check-ups and proactive care in the same way we encourage gym memberships and ideally make them as mainstay as following TikTok trends,” Ms Darling concluded. “Staying on track with health should always be a priority. We just need to make sure Gen Z knows that – and has the tools to do it.”

To read the full 2025 Gen Z Wellbeing Index, please visit: https://www.scape.com.au/genzwellbeingindex/

ABOUT SCAPE AUSTRALIA

Scape is Australia’s largest owner and operator of purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA), being able to cater to both domestic and international students. Scape has a unique edge thanks to the diverse offerings and price points of the 39 buildings in our portfolio.

We currently have 19,250 beds across Australia’s four key educational precincts – Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide. With 7 buildings in planning and development, we will see a total of 22,500 beds by 2025.

With over 900 staff members, we are the largest investor in Australia’s higher education sector with AUD 6 billion in capital committed over the last four years.

ABOUT YEAR13

Founded in 2011, Year13 is an Ed-Tech and publisher whose purpose is to support young people to live happier, healthier and more fulfilled lives, and whose mission is to upgrade the school-to-work transition.

Year13’s career platform Career Tools is Australia’s largest school to work transition platform, with over 1250+ subscribing schools.

In 2023, Year13 acquired Good Education Group, Australia’s most comprehensive schools K-12, universities, TAFE and Registered Training Organisation education platform for prospective students and parents.