Younger Australians are increasingly choosing not to cover up when heading outdoors to enjoy the sun - a trend raising concern among health officials as summer approaches.

Data released on Monday reveals just 26 per cent of people aged 13 to 28 consider sun protection extremely important, with the number growing to 33 per cent for those aged 29 to 44.

Older generations are far more likely to protect their skin, with 42 per cent of 61 to 79-year-olds wanting to cover up during outdoor activities.

The Cancer Council's National Skin Cancer Committee chairwoman Sally Blane said the data was concerning, adding that two in three Australians would be diagnosed with skin cancer in their lifetime.

"Younger Australians have learnt from older generations that overexposure to UV is not worth the r

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