2025 findings
Explore key findings from the latest Australian Youth Digital Index research.
Index scores
Change since 2024: 0
The Access score is based on the digital devices young people use and how much young people can use these digital devices when they need to.
The overall Access score for young people in Australia is 77, stable since 2024.
Change since 2024: 0
The Connectivity score measures how young people connect online (i.e. broadband or mobile data) and how much this is inhibited by limits, speed or quality of connection.
The overall Connectivity score for young Australians is 66, stable since 2024.
Change since 2024: +1
The Skills score measures how well young people can complete digital tasks for school or work, and how they learnt digital skills.
The overall Skills score for young people in Australia is 70, up 1 since 2024.
Change since 2024: +2
The Safety score is based on young people’s own rating of how safe they feel online whether they are aware of various risks online, and how they learnt online safety.
The overall Safety score for young people in Australia is 80, up 2 since 2024.
Change since 2024: -2
The Wellbeing score covers how young people feel about different aspects of their life in general and the impact young people say being online has on their life.
The overall Wellbeing score for young Australians is 50, down 2 since 2024.
Key Findings
Smartphone ownership 86%
This is down from 89% in 2024, while laptop ownership is 76%, down from 79%. Access to devices increases with age—95%+ of those aged 17 or older have smartphones—and the main barrier to smartphone access for younger children remains parental restriction, though this has decreased to 56% (from 68% in 2024).
Home internet access 89%
There is however a shift toward mobile data usage, now at 73% (up from 68% in 2024), while Wi-Fi use at home dropped to 89% (from 94%). Cost-of-living pressures are evident, with 13% of young people changing or cancelling their internet plan due to financial reasons.
Digital skills are self-taught 74%
53% of young people learn from the internet, 50% from teachers (up from 47% in 2024), and 48% from parents (up from 43%). Friends (44%) and colleagues (17%) are also sources, with self-learning especially prevalent among the older cohort.
Using AI is easy 56%
A growing number of young people are engaging with AI: 58% have taught themselves how to use generative AI, while 47% have received formal instruction. In 2025, 56% find using AI for everyday tasks easy (up from 46% in 2024), and 61% check the accuracy of AI-generated information at least sometimes.
Digital skills are essential for future careers 78%
Recognition of the importance of digital skills for future careers is strong, with 78% agreeing these skills are essential (up from 74% in 2024). Interest in advanced digital careers is higher among boys (67%) than girls (50%, up from 46%), and higher in urban areas (62%) than regional/remote (49%).
Online safety confidence 95%
Understanding of online safety is high, with 95% of young people feeling confident in this area. Learning about online safety is self-directed for 57%, but parents (55%) and teachers (51%) remain important sources. Despite 93% feeling safe online, 72% have encountered at least one unsafe situation.
Happy with time online 67%
More young people are spending 3–6 hours online on weekdays (47%, up from 42% in 2024), but only 67% are happy with their time online. The proportion who feel social media is a positive experience has dropped to 54% (from 61%), and only half (50%, down from 55%) feel they know when to disconnect, highlighting growing challenges around digital wellbeing.
