Adolescence and young adulthood are generally thought of as healthy life stages. However, with young people making up approximately a fifth of the UK population, intervention during these key developmental years can lay the foundations for healthy lives in adulthood and all of the social, health and economic benefits this can bring.

While the importance of investment in the early years is broadly accepted, the comparable importance of the age period 10–24 years is sometimes neglected. This report explores how key indicators of the health and wellbeing of young people in the UK compare to those of their counterparts in a selection of similar high-income countries both within and outside of Europe. The report shows that, despite observed improvements in health-related behaviours among adolescents and young adults, we compare poorly with other, similar countries in providing support to young people with long-term conditions to manage their care, and this appears to be getting worse.