Labour remains the most popular party among 18–24 year olds, with the Green Party in second place and Reform UK close behind, YouGov data shows.
The data comes from the polling company’s first post-election voting intention survey, released on 13 January, 2025.
Among 18–24-year-olds, 36% said they would vote Labour, followed by the Green Party at 22% and Reform UK at 19%.
The Liberal Democrats polled 12%, while only 5% backed the Conservatives.
As a result, Labour remains popular while emerging parties like Reform and the Greens overtook the Conservatives.
The findings suggest these changes in youth voting patterns could influence future elections if the trend continues.
YouGov concluded Reform has now become the most popular right-wing party for this age group.
Phil Steed, chair of Reform UK’s Fareham and Waterlooville constituency branch, said: “In our branch we have seen a marked increase in young members, to the extent that we have recently formed a Young Reformers group that can shape how we engage with young people.
“More and more young people are reassessing their political views alongside the realities of what is happening to our country and the fundamental issues that exist.
“There are probably a few reasons including: Reform UK’s policy of scrapping interest on student loans and providing an extended timeframe to repay loans, our commitment to cut funding to universities that undermine free speech.”
On the other hand, Labour is the most popular party within all age groups they interviewed, but Conservatives are the least.
In comparison, the Conservatives are most popular with voters aged 65-plus, gaining 35%, while Labour got 14%.
However, Reform exceeded the latter and had 30% of the vote.
Across all age groups, Labour’s support declines with age, while backing for the Conservatives and Reform UK increases.
Among voters aged 65 and over, both Reform and the Conservatives each received 30% of the vote, compared to Labour’s 14%.
This comes as a major shift since YouGov’s 2024 How is Britain voting as we enter the 2024 election year? poll, when 56% of 18-24-year-olds said they would vote for labour.
Noticeably, 4% said they would vote for Reform, making the group fifth, just behind the Conservatives.
The most split was within the 60 range, where 33% supported Labour and 31% the Conservatives.
Again, the common theme between these two polls is that the older, the more support there is for traditional parties.
Callum Clafferty, 23, Young Green co-chair since August 2024, said: “Young people are crying out for action and the Green Party is the only one putting forward a bold vision with the policies to actually tackle the issues we face.
“We are the generation that grew up with austerity, we have the highest rents, most competitive job market, the most student debt and the lowest level of public services in recent memory.
“Many young people voted Labour for change, but all we got was more of the same.
“Now people are looking to the Greens, because we want rent controls, a wealth tax, public ownership, action on climate and free tuition.”
From 2024 – 2025, there has been a noticeable change in voting within 18-24.
On May 7, 2026, council and mayoral elections took place across the UK, further reflecting this political realignment.
LOCAL ELECTIONS 2026: Data taken from BBC News
Labour and the Conservatives suffered significant losses, while Reform UK emerged as the biggest winner, after gaining 1,452 seats to reach a total of 1,454 councillors.
The Liberal Democrats gained 155 seats and the Greens gained 441, while Labour lost 1,498 seats and the Conservatives lost 563.
From 2024-2025, YouGov data consistently showed younger voters leaning left while older voters remained more right-leaning.
Yet the 2026 local council results suggest this may be changing, with Reform UK’s historic gains indicating a broader shift across the electorate.
Feature image: Free to use from Unsplash
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