The percentage of young people in Africa is roughly 20% as of 2011. About 20% of the total population of Africa is between the ages 15 and 24. This equates to about 200 million young people, making Africa the place with the world’s youngest overall population. Africa’s total population is nearly 1.1 billion as of 2014, or about 16% of the entire global population. However, that number is projected to double by the year 2050.
The high youth population in Africa is thought to contribute to a high number of unemployed individuals under age 25. In some African countries, unemployment among the young population varies between 30% and 60%. 40% of Senegalese youth who participated in a World Bank survey in 2011 reported lack of jobs as a primary reason for joining rebel movements.
More about African youth population:
- 36% of children under age five in Africa are malnourished.
- More than 70% of the youth population in Africa are either self-employed or work in family businesses.
- From the 1990 through 2010, the literacy rate for young African females increased by 15% to an average of 67% and reduced the gap between male literacy from a 25% discrepancy to just 9%.