This means that approximately one person in five is between the age of 15 and 24 years, or 18% of the world’s population are “youth”, and children (5-14 years) comprise of 19.8%.Īs you can see from the table, it is interesting to note that despite an increase in absolute numbers, the proportion of young people in the world is actually dwindling! This means that the number of young people in the world between 19 has dropped as a proportion of the total population. Within the category of “youth”, it is also important to distinguish between teenagers (13-19) and young adults (20-24), since the sociological, psychological and health problems they face may differ.Īpproximately one billion youth live in the world today. However, the operational definition and nuances of the term ‘youth’ often vary from country to country, depending on the specific socio-cultural, institutional, economic and political factors. This age is often 18 in many countries, and once a person passes this age, they are considered to be an adult.
Many countries also draw a line on youth at the age at which a person is given equal treatment under the law – often referred to as the “age of majority’. This was intentional, as it was hoped that the Convention would provide protection and rights to as large an age-group as possible and because there was no similar United Nations Convention on the Rights of Youth. It is, however, worth noting that Article 1 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child defines ‘children’ as persons up to the age of 18. All United Nations statistics on youth are based on this definition, as illustrated by the annual yearbooks of statistics published by the United Nations system on demography, education, employment and health.īy that definition, therefore, children are those persons under the age of 14.
This definition was made during preparations for the International Youth Year (1985), and endorsed by the General Assembly (see A/36/215 and resolution 36/28, 1981). The United Nations, for statistical purposes, defines ‘youth’, as those persons between the ages of 15 and 24 years, without prejudice to other definitions by Member States.
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