ABSTRACT There is a growing literature on youth representation in parliament illustrating a stark underrepresentation of adults aged 35 years or under, as well as 40 years or under, in most national legislatures across the globe. However, we know less about the kind of treatment young MPs receive once elected to parliament. Through a survey with structured and open-ended questions, featuring 144 young legislators across the globe, we illustrate that – judging by these perceptions – youths’ obstacles in politics do not stop at the electoral stage. A sizeable number of young MPs from our sample report that they experience ageism in many national legislatures. Most frequently, such perceived ageism is informal. In the view of young MPs, it manifests itself in subtle and not-so-subtle forms of discrimination and belittling treatment. For the broader literature on representation, this implies that the disadvantage youth face during elections might continue once in parliament, with the potential risk that this group of legislators has less influence in parliament than other groups.