This week UN International Youth Day raises awareness about people aged between 15 and 24, and their contribution to society worldwide. Lower-income countries typically have more young people, and African nations have the largest proportion of youth. In Uganda, 70% of the population is under 25, and almost 50% under 15. Namibia has the highest proportion of 15- to 24-year-olds in the world, at 23%.
The world’s population continues to grow, though the global birth rate has levelled in recent years. This is due to population momentum: as fewer babies are born, population growth is a result of more people living longer. Higher-income countries tend to have aging populations and a diminishing proportion of young people. Globally, 15- to 24-year-olds make up 16% of the population. But every European country – except Albania, with 19% – has fewer young people than the global average. Antarctica has no young people – it is the only continent with no permanent human population.
