Northern lights tops young peoples’ bucket list

Pictured are the Northern Lights over Norway.

Tourist attractions are at the top of people’s “bucket list” of things they would like to do in their lifetime, according to a survey.

But with a typical list costing nearly £136,000 to fulfil, it would take people 80 years to complete the list at the current rate of money saving, the survey by GE Capital Direct 1, part of the GE Capital UK finance group, found.

Top of the bucket list - an expression to denote things that people wish to do before they die or ‘kick the bucket’ - was seeing the Northern Lights.

This was followed by visiting the Grand Canyon in the United States, seeing Niagara Falls in Canada and just broadly going on a round-the-world trip.

The main reason among 25-34-year-olds for drawing up such a list was fear of missing out.

However two in five of those asked said that thinking about their aspirations kept them motivated in work and in life generally.

But three in five reckoned it was unlikely they would able to complete their list, with half citing a lack of savings.

Based on responses from 2,154 adults, the survey showed that men (30 per cent) were much more likely than women (18 per cent) to have unconventional items on their list.

For example, 21 per cent of men, but only 9 per cent of women, fancied travelling in space.

But 52 per cent of women, compared with only 30 per cent of men, listed activities related to social responsibility such as rescuing animals and doing charity work overseas.

This was the ultimate bucket list:

1. See the Northern Lights

2. Visit the Grand Canyon in the United States

3. Visit Niagara Falls in Canada

4. Go on a round-the-world trip

5. Buy a dream house

6. Go on safari

7. Swim with dolphins

8. Visit all Seven New Wonders of the World

9. Get married

10. Master another language