UNIPATH STAFF
In the past half century, the Middle East and Central and South Asia have experienced a profound demographic shift. About 60 percent of Middle Easterners, two-thirds of Pakistanis and nearly three-quarters of Afghans are younger than 30. This potentially destabilizing “youth bulge” comes at a time when most societies are struggling to find meaningful work for young people. Here are countries with the largest populations under age 25:
A GENERATIONAL BULGE
Young people ages 15-29 make up the largest percentage of populations throughout much of the Middle East and Central Asia. Here’s a comparative snapshot of several countries.
BIRTHRATE
Another way to look at the issue is birthrates, which suggest how durable the youth bulge will be in the coming decades.
UNEMPLOYMENT
Among regions of the world, the Middle East has the highest youth unemployment rate. More than one in four economically active young people are unemployed. The region’s youth unemployment rate for 2012 was an estimated 28.3 percent and could rise to 30 percent by 2018.
Labor participation rates provide another angle from which to view the problem. Almost 70 percent of Qatar’s youth participate in the labor force, meaning they are working or actively looking for work. By contrast, Jordan’s participation rate is 25 percent, suggesting many educated people in fields such as engineering can’t find appropriate employment.
The outlook is worse for young women, of whom 42.6 percent were unemployed in Jordan, even though labor participation rates were lower. Though cultural norms preclude most women from protesting their plight, their frustrations intensify general unease in these countries.
Another source of instability is the ratio of unemployment among people under 25 to unemployment among people 25 and older.
For every adult unemployed in the Middle East, 3.8 youths are unemployed.
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