This policy brief aims to stress the layers of well - being that children and young people identify as basilar in their daily, current and future lives. The relative position of economic basic well being is emphasized in their opinions and life testimonies, about their own lives and the way they interact and interpret with their peers, their parents’ lives and in their imagined future lives. The non-materialistic approach to the importance of conomic well-being reveals the relative awareness of situations of poverty or risk of being in overty (of particular importance in the Portuguese current context), and the emergence of a class gap amongst the youngest population (at least in terms of perceptions) as a result of the increase in inequalities. These findings should be taken into account in policy making, namely: awareness of poverty and risk of poverty and which institutions can try prevent it, deal with it or contribute as a volunteer; civic education on social inequalities and justice, which could be included in school curriculums, and other initiatives that will be given as examples, recommendations and suggestions.

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