Perception about sustainable development goals among Erasmus students in a Spanish university

Purpose This study aims to analyse the positioning of young people in the face of the challenges posed by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It focuses on the case of Erasmus+ students at a Spanish university and tries to evaluate the importance of each of the SDGs for them. Design/methodology/approach Based on primary data obtained through a survey of more than 300 young people, factor analysis was applied to evaluate the importance assigned to each SDG and quantify the degree of concern assigned to each of them. Findings Results show a high degree of concern for all the SDGs among Erasmus students, although they have done so with different levels of intensity. College students especially value education. Women are more concerned about socioeconomic problems. Furthermore, surprising results have been found in terms of gender equality, which indicates the need to deepen this analysis. Originality/value This work contributes to the academic literature, still limited but growing, on how Erasmus students perceive the SDGs and to what level they feel committed to these objectives. Furthermore, it can be helpful for public policy managers regarding a specific group of young university students and a hot topic such as sustainability.