There is a broad spectrum of data that can be used to describe the health of young people in the UK. These data are of varying quality, reflecting in part the methods used to collect them. However, it is often frustrating trying to locate information relevant to young people: so many of the apparently obvious sources of data, such as routine surveillance data, are either not collated centrally, or are not related to a defined population. Perhaps, with the recently introduced changes in commissioning health services within England and Wales, local pressure will bring about an improvement in this.