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Young people in today’s world
Over 510 million young women and 540 million young men live in the world today according to United Nations (UN) estimates. This means that approximately one person in five is between the ages of 15 and 24 years, or youth comprise almost 18 per cent of the world's population. Although the proportion of youth in the world is dwindling, (by 2025 it is forecast to fall to 16 per cent), their absolute number has increased and will continue to do so well into the twenty-first century. The majority of young people, 85 per cent, live in developing countries, with approximately 60 per cent in Asia alone. By 2020, the number living in developing countries will grow to about 89 per cent.
The problems and aspirations of young people must be given due consideration in the development agenda of all countries since they are clearly an important population group. They are not however a homogenous group. Their needs and experiences differ, depending on age, gender, ethnicity, social class, household size, access to education and training, disability, migrant and refugee status, as well as the state of development of the countries in which they live. These factors help to identify how susceptible they are to social risk and define their vulnerability. Effective youth policies and programmes need to be closely targeted to take account of specific differences and needs.
The fundamental political, economic and socio-cultural transformations of recent times have affected young people profoundly, further exposing the vulnerability that is inherent in the transition from childhood to adulthood. They face a daunting array of social and economic challenges, not least of which have been continuing high, and in some cases increasing, levels of unemployment and underemployment, particularly in developing regions. Although the experiences of young women and men in developed and developing countries are not always similar, they share some common problems and uncertainties about the future, including limited employment prospects. Youth vulnerability is also linked to problems of poverty, illiteracy, health and the often doubly disadvantaged position of girls and young women. Many of these concerns form part of, or are closely tied to, the ILO's decent work agenda.
Poverty
According to UN estimates, over 1 billion people in the world live in poverty, mostly in developing countries, particularly in rural areas. However, rural-urban migration in developing countries is adding to urban poverty. Poverty is linked to a lack of access to resources, including land, skills, knowledge, capital and social connections. Without these resources, people have limited access to institutions, markets, employment and public services. Not surprisingly, young people are particularly vulnerable to poverty and in many developing countries this vulnerability has been increasing. But poverty is not confined to developing countries. Poverty is also found in developed countries, with children and youth particularly vulnerable.
Illiteracy
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) estimates that approximately 96 million young women and 57 million young men are illiterate, most of them in developing countries. This is so, because despite progress towards universal primary education in many regions, access is still limited in some countries and more so for some groups. It also reflects the poor quality and relevance of basic education in many countries. Illiteracy rates are highest in northern Africa, sub-Saharan Africa and south-central Asia, with a significant gender differential: women are much more likely to be illiterate than men. The greatest differential is in northern Africa, where twice as many women as men are illiterate (40 per cent for women, 20 per cent for men). Youth illiteracy is much higher in rural than in urban areas. Illiteracy rates are negligible in developed regions where primary education is universal and compulsory. Reducing illiteracy and improving the coverage and quality of basic education are potentially powerful instruments for reducing inequality in the size and distribution of income and for raising the productivity and earnings of the poor. They also offer an access route to training and through this to better jobs and higher incomes.
HIV/AIDS
Of the 30 million people with HIV infection or AIDS, at least 10 million are aged between 10 and 24 years according to the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS). It is estimated that every day 7,000 young people worldwide acquire the virus. This means that there are around 2.6 million new infections a year among young people, including 1.7 million in Africa and 700,000 in Asia and the Pacific. Young people account for at least 50 per cent of those who become infected after infancy and in some countries the figure exceeds 60 per cent. Over nine-tenths of the epidemic is now concentrated in developing countries. Young women appear to be the most vulnerable group for both biological and socio-economic reasons. A recent community-based study undertaken by UNAIDS in one area in east Africa showed that one in four girls aged between 15 and 19 years was HIV-positive, compared with one in 25 boys in the same age group.
AIDS imposes both direct and indirect costs on national economies. The cost of treating individuals infected with HIV and AIDS exceeds per capita GDP in a number of countries. AIDS also weakens economies indirectly. Resources allocated to combat AIDS may mean lower investments in education and primary health care, with consequences for future economic growth. By shortening lifespans, AIDS also lowers the returns to public investment in both health and education. AIDS is particularly devastating to economic growth because it strikes at the working-age population and threatens to spawn a new wave of AIDS orphans and child labourers. (Information on ILO actions on AIDS may be found at: http://www.ilo.org/aids)
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