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Competence Centre on Foresight

We foster a strategic, future-oriented and anticipatory culture in the EU policymaking process.

  • Page | Last updated: 11 Dec 2020

Youth bulges in some regions

  • 1.2 billion people in the world are young (aged between 15-24 years) —  that is 16% of the global population. By 2050, the number is estimated to be 1.3 billion. 
  • While in some regions in the world like Europe, young people (15-24 years) are a relatively small part of the total population, in e.g. Sub-Saharan Africa young people are almost 20% of the population and it is projected to remain so over the coming two decades. 
  • When it comes to the part of the population that is between 0 and 25 years, that share of the total population is declining in all world regions.
  • However, in terms of numbers, the number of children projected to be born in Africa between 2020 and 2050 is 1.4 billion - more than double the number of births between 1990 - 2020. Africa is the region that is expected to account for the largest share of the world's future population growth.
  • India has almost 600 million people under 25 years old (45% of the country's 1.28 billion population) and China has around 400 million people aged below 25 (almost 30% of the total population of 1.38 billion). 

    | Related Megatrends: InequalitiesMigrationSecurityGeopower

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