Invest in Youth · Needs Analysis
Understanding How Young People Relate to Money and Society
Before finalising the Invest in Youth board game and guide, the project partners conducted a survey to understand young people’s existing knowledge of personal finance and civic economics.
Baseline proficiency
82.3%
Personal finance basics
4.94 / 6
78.7%
Civic money awareness
3.94 / 5
Scope
Germany · Italy · Portugal
Focus
Personal finance and civic economics
Method
International baseline survey
The survey was carried out across Germany, Italy and Portugal. It provided a common baseline for the project and helped the partners identify which subjects required greater attention in the educational materials.
What the survey explored
Personal finance basics covered saving and compound growth, gross and net income, inflation and purchasing power, credit and debt, digital payment risks and consumer rights.
Civic money awareness examined how individual financial behaviour connects to wider society. This included taxes and public services, government income and spending, GDP and unemployment, the informal economy, inclusive growth and economic inequality.
The survey also collected contextual information, including participants’ country and employment status. This allowed the partnership to consider how different personal and economic circumstances may influence financial knowledge.
Key findings
Participants were generally more familiar with everyday financial concepts than with the relationship between finance, public systems and civic life.
The main knowledge gaps
The lowest-performing questions concerned compound growth, government budget deficits and the effect of inflation on savings.
These findings showed that even familiar financial terms can be difficult to apply in practical situations. They also confirmed the need to explain public finance in a way that feels connected to young people’s everyday lives.
Correct answers by topic
Share of correct answers
Results across the partner countries
Germany recorded the highest average score among the three partner countries. However, targeted support remained important, particularly for young people with lower individual scores or less financial security.
Participants who were unemployed and looking for work recorded an average score of 8.50, while those working part-time recorded an average of 8.54. These findings supported the project’s focus on young people who may face economic or social barriers.
Average scores by country
Average score out of 11
Employment context
Unemployed and looking for work
8.50
Working part-time
8.54
How the results shaped the project
The survey was not conducted only to describe the problem. Its findings were used to guide the educational content. The board game therefore includes situations that allow participants to experience concepts such as inflation, saving, debt and taxation through decisions and consequences.
The Finance is Civic guide helps facilitators connect these situations to public services, community wellbeing and active citizenship. The baseline also provides a reference point for evaluating whether participants’ knowledge and confidence improve during the local pilot activities.