THE world鈥檚 ageing, greying population doesn鈥檛 spell global economic disaster鈥t least not yet. Today鈥檚 teenage generation is the biggest the world has ever seen, according to a UN report released on 8 October. About half the people in the world are now less than 25 years old.
Some 1.2 billion people 鈥� nearly a fifth of all people on Earth 鈥� are adolescents between 10 and 19. This demographic bulge stems from an increase in birth rate that started two decades ago. 鈥淧eople were having lots of young children and there was not enough family planning,鈥� said Thoraya Obaid, executive director of the UN Population Fund, at the launch of the report.
These teenagers look set to become the largest, most vibrant adult workforce the world has known. There are fewer children under 10 years old than in the teen bracket. That reflects a fall in the global fertility rate, which has dropped from an average of 6 children per woman 25 years ago to about 3 now. In the near term, however, the proportion of people of working age (15 to 60 years) in the developing world will increase relative to that of children and pensioners, possibly fuelling an economic boom.
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However, the UN report warns that the youthful majority are vulnerable. Around 90 per cent of teenagers live in the developing world, and suffer poverty and poor education as well as high rates of HIV infection. Young adults aged 15 to 24 account for half of the 5 million new cases of HIV infection each year.
Young people are also most vulnerable to drug abuse, violence and sexual trafficking. The report notes the challenges of preventing early marriage and teenage pregnancy as well.
However, if the healthcare and social needs of today鈥檚 teenage generation are met, they could generate dramatic economic improvements. 鈥淲e are at a time of crisis, but we also have an unequalled opportunity,鈥� says Obaid.