Chart of the week, 2025-KW15

10 April 2025

(incl. graphics if available)

Educational goals

Out of every 100 respondents, they consider the following qualities to be important for the future:

18-34 years over 55 years Responsibility take over 46 58 Be honest in life 40 55 Always be helpful 37 34 Taking time for the family take 37 51 Be considerate 35 45 Justice 34 50 Self-consciousness 32 28 Tolerance 31 38 Willingness to compromise 31 51 Teamwork skills 30 40 independence 27 45 Ability to fail 26 33 Resilience and Stress management 25 20 Intercultural competence 25 13 Open to Changes will be 24 32 Time management and Organizational skills 23 15 Courage for lasting have ties 17 13 Active political Participation 16 11 Volunteering engage 14 18
Online representative survey of 2,000 people aged 18 and over conducted by GfK in Germany
Data as table
Educational goals — Out of every 100 respondents, they consider the following qualities to be important for the future:
18-34 yearsover 55 years
take responsibility4658
Be honest in life4055
Always be helpful3734
Taking time for family3751
Be considerate3545
Justice3450
Self-consciousness3228
Tolerance3138
Willingness to compromise3151
Teamwork skills3040
independence2745
Ability to fail2633
Resilience and stress management2520
Intercultural competence2513
Be open to change2432
Time management and organizational skills2315
Have the courage to make lasting commitments1713
Active political participation1611
Volunteering1418
Download chart:PNG

Result

What parents want to pass on to their children today has changed noticeably in recent years. While discipline and obedience used to play an important role, values such as responsibility, honesty, health and environmental awareness now take centre stage. More than one in two people believe it is important for children to learn to take responsibility. Almost as many mention honesty or a conscious approach to one's own health. Time for the family and an environmentally conscious life are now also among the most frequently mentioned educational goals.

This shows that social values and self-care are almost equally important today. Young adults in particular are attaching greater importance to qualities such as flexibility, self-confidence and intercultural competence. At the same time, they want structure and stability - but with more freedom than previous generations. The good relationship between the generations is also striking: Young people today get on much better with their parents than in the past - the classic generational conflict seems to be diminishing.

Reasons

The demands placed on children and young people have changed - as has the world in which they grow up. Digitalisation, global crises and social changes demand different skills than in the past. Parents want to prepare their children to be able to deal with challenges independently and with strength.

Critical thinking, media skills, social intelligence and resilience are becoming increasingly important as a result. There is a great desire to raise children to become independent, adaptable and empathetic people. At the same time, traditional values such as discipline and the ability to take criticism are once again more popular among young people.

Forecast

In the future, carers will continue to be faced with the question of what values children need to master their lives well. It will be important to harmonise traditional virtues and modern requirements. Honesty, a sense of responsibility and reliability will remain just as important as flexibility, self-confidence and digital skills.

It is crucial that children not only receive knowledge, but also guidance. They must learn to deal with uncertainty, to take themselves and others seriously and to take responsibility in everyday life - for themselves and for others.

Values are not a rigid concept. They evolve - with the times, society and people. Communicating values means shaping the future.

Your contact person

Ayaan Güls
Press spokeswoman

Tel. 040/4151-2264
Fax 040/4151-2091
guels@zukunftsfragen.de

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