68% of young people say rising living costs have reduced how often they socialise at night
34% of 16-24 year olds say they have increased walking since the pandemic
Search interest has increased by up to 79% for hiking trails and hiking equipment, with TikTok content for the topic increasing by 500% in the last month
New data shows under-25s are abandoning nights out in record numbers, replacing spending-led socialising with free, offline ways of meeting as costs and burnout peak.
The new UK research, analysed by outdoor leisure company Trail.co.uk, shows three in five (61%) 18–30 year olds are now going out less often than a year ago, while just 16% say they are going out more, pointing to a decisive withdrawal rather than a temporary slowdown.
The shift is being driven by cost pressure. Separate UK research has found that over two-thirds (68%) of young people say the current economic climate has reduced how often they take part in night-time socialising, while half (53%) say they are spending less on going out than last year. This highlights how paid leisure is being priced out for a generation already facing rising rents, transport costs and insecure incomes.
Spending data reinforces the behaviour change. UCAS figures show students’ average weekly spend on leisure, including eating out and alcohol, has fallen from £60 to £52 in a year, a real-terms drop of more than 20%, underlining how discretionary social budgets are shrinking rather than being reallocated elsewhere.
That pullback from paid socialising is showing up in what young people are doing instead. According to Sport England, participation in walking among 16-24 year olds has increased since the pandemic, with around one in three (34%) saying they have become more active through informal activities because they are free and flexible. Google Trends also shows a 36% rise in searches for “hiking trails” and 79% increase for “hiking equipment” in the last year.
Social media has helped normalise the shift. On TikTok, trends such as “soft hiking” frame walking as a social alternative rather than a fitness pursuit, showing friends meeting to walk, talk, and decompress without spending money. TikTok content linked to hiking has increased by up to 500% in the last month, demonstrating the speed and scale at which the behaviour has spread from screens into real-world routines.
UK outdoor retailer Trail.co.uk has also seen growing engagement from younger customers buying walking and hiking essentials. In the last year, the company has experienced an 133% increase in revenue from Brits aged between 18 and 34 years old.
With searches and revenue spiking, Jeff Skelton, an Outdoor Gear Expert at Trail.co.uk is predicting increased demand for walking poles and lightweight backpacks linked to longer and more frequent walks.
Jeff Skelton, commented, “Among under-25s, this looks like a genuine shift rather than a short-term response to rising costs. Young people aren’t just spending less on nights out, they’re reorganising how they spend time together. Social life is increasingly built around shared experiences that don’t require money, which marks a fundamental change in how Gen Z meet, unwind and connect.”
