Young adults are setting higher standards than ever, and it is fueling a rise in perfectionism. Psychologists have revealed the hidden pressures behind this trend. Researchers at the London School of Economics and York St. John University conducted a sweeping analysis published by the American Psychological Association. They reviewed 35 years of data from more than 82,000 college students across the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. The study found that self-reported perfectionism has climbed consistently from 1989 through 2024, spanning January 1989 to June 2025. This represents a generation-long shift in how young people see themselves, measure their worth, and fear getting things wrong.
Three Types of Perfectionism
The researchers classified perfectionism into three types: self-oriented, which is an irrational desire to be perfect; socially prescribed, which involves perceiving excessive expectations from others; and other-oriented, which means placing unrealistic standards on the people around you. All three have risen, but socially prescribed perfectionism has shown the sharpest climb. Between 1989 and 2016, socially prescribed perfectionism rose by 33%, the largest increase of the three. This form is most closely linked to serious mental health disorders, and the number has only continued upward since.
Fear of Failure Outpaces Ambition
Since the early 2000s, different aspects of perfectionism have increased at different rates. Perfectionistic concerns, which include fear of failure, indecisiveness, and fear of being negatively judged by others, have risen far faster than perfectionistic strivings, which reflect the motivation to set high standards and work hard to meet them. In plain terms, young people are not just trying harder; they are becoming more afraid. The drive is not purely ambition; increasingly, it is anxiety wearing ambition's clothes.
Economic Factors Play a Key Role
Most conversations about perfectionism in young adults focus on social media and comparison culture. However, the APA-published research points to deeper economic factors. Slowing GDP per capita was associated with higher rates of perfectionistic striving, while rising economic inequality was linked to steeper increases in perfectionistic concerns. Lead author Thomas Curran, PhD, of the London School of Economics, explained: "When there's a lack of economic opportunity, young people seem to compensate with striving. And when inequality grows, what you see is that fear and worry about making mistakes and other people's opinions starts to become a more central feature of young people's psychology." So it is not just filtered selfies causing the damage; it is the sense that the margin for error in life has genuinely shrunk.
A Public Health Problem
Curran has been explicit about the stakes: "Perfectionism is a public health risk; it is associated with increased depression and anxiety. If we want to tackle the youth mental health crisis, we need to focus on these cultural and economic factors." For years, the response to perfectionism has been individually focused, such as therapy, mindfulness, and learning to accept imperfection. However, the pressure young adults feel is being built into the systems around them, including universities, job markets, and social structures that keep telling them that good enough is never quite enough.
