Contents......Page 7
Foreword......Page 13
Acknowledgments......Page 15
Methodological Note......Page 17
Abbreviations and Data Notes......Page 18
Overview......Page 21
Invest in young people—now......Page 22
2 Opening and closing demographic windows of opportunity......Page 25
8 Civic engagement rises with age......Page 30
9 Transitions seen through three lenses focus policies and magnify impact......Page 31
11 Who has the final say? The percentage of young women (ages 15–24) who feel they themselves have had the most influence on......Page 35
Policies to offer second chances......Page 39
Moving forward......Page 41
Part I Why now, and how?......Page 45
1 Youth, poverty reduction, and growth......Page 46
1.1 What is youth?......Page 47
1.1 The number of children completing primary school has risen in most regions......Page 51
1.5 Trends in the developing world's population of young people vary significantly across regions......Page 53
How prepared are youth for today's challenges? A glass half empty......Page 56
What should policy makers focus on? The five transitions......Page 59
Spotlight: Differing demographics......Page 63
2.1 Transitions seen through three lenses focus policies and magnify impact......Page 65
Broadening opportunities......Page 66
2.4 Young people's voice in budget setting improved outcomes in Ceara, Brazil......Page 73
Offering second chances......Page 79
Spotlight: A gender filter on the youth lens......Page 85
Part II Transitions......Page 87
Educational preparation of youth for work and life is low......Page 88
A solid foundation: Improving the readiness for postprimary education......Page 91
3.1 The ignored side of skills development: Building behavioral skills for school, work, and life......Page 92
Better education choices by young people......Page 101
3.8 Integrated approaches address the many constraints on young people......Page 109
Spotlight: Vietnamese youth: Managing prosperity......Page 114
Youth challenges in the labor market......Page 116
4.5 In Chile employment is more responsive to demand fluctuations for young males than for adults......Page 123
Broadening labor market opportunities......Page 126
Choosing to work and developing the skills to do so......Page 131
Providing a springboard to reintegrate the most vulnerable......Page 134
Spotlight: Do baby booms lead to employment busts? Not in OECD countries......Page 140
5 Growing up healthy......Page 142
5.1 In the United States, mortality from lung cancer among men increased dramatically for nearly 40 years after smoking peake......Page 143
Public intervention is needed to promote youth health......Page 144
5.7 The proportion of 15- to 24-year-olds infected with HIV is high, especially among girls......Page 149
5.4 Social marketing can change behavior—Horizon Jeunes in Cameroon......Page 155
5.6 Technology can help change young people's behavior: Using text messages in New Zealand to reduce smoking......Page 157
Spotlight: Addressing disparities among Brazil's youth......Page 162
Preparing for family formation is good for growth and poverty reduction......Page 164
6.2 Education shapes family formation......Page 167
Providing opportunities for youth to prepare for parenthood......Page 171
Strengthening young people's decision-making capabilities to prepare for parenthood......Page 173
6.7 In India, acquiring life skills can stimulate young women's demand for health services......Page 176
7 Exercising citizenship......Page 180
7.1 What is citizenship?......Page 181
7.2 Should private ownership of business be increased?......Page 184
7.3 Young people are more willing than older people to give up income to prevent environmental pollution......Page 187
Acquiring an identity and a sense of belonging......Page 192
Young people need legally recognized second chances......Page 198
Spotlight: Rebuilding lives and institutions in Sierra Leone......Page 205
Part III Across transitions and next steps......Page 207
Youth and international migration......Page 208
8.3 Catching up fast: The rise of new technologies......Page 221
Spotlight: What donors can do......Page 229
9 Youth policy: Doing it and getting it right......Page 231
Youth policy priorities vary by country context......Page 232
Youth policy often fails young people......Page 234
9.1 What do ministries of youth do?......Page 235
9.5 Where departments of youth are headed: Evidence from Latin America......Page 239
9.7 Vozes Jovens: Opening national youth policy to youth voice and participation in Brazil......Page 241
Spotlight: It's up to you(th)—taking action for development......Page 245
Bibliographical note......Page 247
Endnotes......Page 249
References......Page 263
Selected indicators......Page 291
Technical notes......Page 303
Classification of economies and summary measures......Page 305
Technical notes......Page 306
Index......Page 325
3 Youth enrollment rates decline with age......Page 26
3 International migration offers opportunities and risks for youth......Page 34
4 Knowing what's good for you: Telling young people about the benefits of school can affect outcomes......Page 37
5 All dressed up and somewhere to go in Bungoma and Butere-Mumias......Page 43
1.2 "The Millennium Development Goals are not about youth, right?" No, wrong!......Page 49
1.3 Losing a decade—what HIV/AIDS is doing to human capital accumulation and growth in Kenya......Page 50
1.4 A youth perspective on equity and development......Page 58
1.5 Work and marriage for men in the Middle East and North Africa......Page 60
2.1 Applying the human capital model to young people......Page 67
2.2 Making services work for poor young people—World Development Report 2004 redux, with a youth lens......Page 70
2.3 A tale of two exports: How electronics in Malaysia and garments in Bangladesh promoted work for young women in traditiona......Page 71
2.4 Who has the final say? Young people's influence on their own key transitions varies greatly across societies and for male......Page 74
2.6 Is microcredit an answer to relieving the young's resource constraints?......Page 77
2.7 Are youths rational (at least according to economists)?......Page 78
2.8 Even those still in school need second chances......Page 80
2.9 Brain development among youth: Neuroscience meets social science......Page 81
3.2 Life skills programs and nonformal teaching methods in schools......Page 95
3.3 Violence and harassment in schools......Page 97
3.4 Georgia: Fighting corruption in higher education......Page 98
3.6 Korea's secondary education: Expansion without sacrificing quality......Page 99
3.7 Income-contingent loans......Page 108
3.9 Reaching out-of-school youth in Bangladesh......Page 110
4.1 Measuring youth activity in the transition to work......Page 118
4.3 Where young people cannot afford to be unemployed, youth unemployment is low and employment is high......Page 120
4.3 Early unemployment persists in Bosnia and Herzegovina......Page 121
4.4 Reforming part of the labor market has been no substitute for comprehensive reform in Spain and France......Page 128
4.5 Off-farm opportunities for youth in Palanpur, India......Page 130
4.6 Employing youth with disabilities......Page 135
4.7 Joven programs increased employment and earnings for some disadvantaged youths......Page 137
5.4 Many young people, especially young men, consume tobacco......Page 147
5.2 The role of education in behavior change......Page 150
5.3 Reducing HIV risk in Namibia......Page 151
6.1 The sequencing of marriage and childbearing......Page 165
6.3 Voices of Bangladeshi youth: Searching for the ideal spouse......Page 168
6.4 Anemia is highly prevalent among young women......Page 169
6.5 Grameen Bank's "Sixteen Decisions"—convincing men to have fewer children......Page 175
6.6 Cash transfers conditional on delaying marriage to promote school attendance for girls in Bangladesh......Page 177
7.2 Do large youth cohorts cause violence? Maybe, if economic growth rates are low......Page 186
7.3 The Otpor youth movement in the former Yugoslavia......Page 188
7.4 Fewer youth are registering to vote in urban Chile......Page 189
7.5 Promoting voluntary and independent opportunities......Page 193
7.6 Last chance in Texas......Page 200
7.7 Private sector interventions to deter youth crime......Page 201
7.8 War-affected youth in Uganda......Page 202
8.1 Small islands, large migrations......Page 210
8.2 Poor job prospects fuel migration in Morocco......Page 219
8.3 Moving in fits and starts with technology—the African Virtual University......Page 225
8.4 Staying alive: HIV prevention using ICTs......Page 226
9.2 Does addressing gender issues hold lessons for youth policy? The view from East Asia......Page 236
9.3 Neither seen, nor heard—youth in the poverty reduction strategy process......Page 237
9.4 How do developed countries handle youth issues? Consider Sweden......Page 238
9.6 Successful policy coordination and implementation: How health and education policies can work together to combat the AIDS......Page 240
9.8 A youth scorecard? The many indicators of youth development......Page 242
9.9 Credible proof of a program's success can ensure continuity: The case of Oportunidades......Page 243
1 High enrollment rates in primary school are followed by significantly lower rates at secondary levels in Indonesia and Zamb......Page 23
4 Entry into the workforce increases with age......Page 27
6 Risky behaviors peak during youth......Page 28
7 Family formation increases with age......Page 29
10 Early childhood interventions (at ages 1–5) can have long-lasting effects on young people (at ages 13–18)......Page 32
12 It pays to go to school......Page 38
1.4 While access to the Internet varies greatly, young people dominate usage......Page 52
1.6 The relative size of youth cohorts is declining in most of the developing world, as is the dependency ratio......Page 55
1.7 Many young people from poor households do not have the most basic skill of literacy......Page 57
1.8 The transitions for Haitians ages 12–24......Page 61
1.9 The transitions for Chileans ages 12–24......Page 62
2.2 Attending is not always learning......Page 68
2.3 Private funds finance a big part of tertiary education costs in diverse countries......Page 69
3.1 The transition to secondary school is a stumbling block for many young people......Page 89
3.3 The ability to read a simple sentence increases with schooling, but few acquire even that most basic skill......Page 90
3.4 Influencing effort directly can be a cost-effective way to improve learning in Kenya......Page 102
3.5 More rich children than poor children completing primary school make it to higher levels......Page 105
3.6 Adolescents in many low-income and lower-middle-income countries combine school and work......Page 106
4.1 Child labor is highest in Africa......Page 117
4.2 Unemployment is higher for youths than for adults......Page 119
4.4 Returns to experience are highest for the young......Page 122
4.6 Returns to education are higher for workers who are more mobile......Page 125
4.7 Productivity and earnings increased faster for youth relative to older workers in Slovenia during the transition, (1992–2......Page 127
5.2 Sexually active youth are unlikely to use condoms, even where HIV prevalence is high......Page 145
5.5 Many young women in developing countries are overweight......Page 148
5.8 Knowledge of the ABCs (Abstain—Be faithful—use Condoms) to avoid HIV prevention is low among young people......Page 152
5.10 Knowing that condoms prevent HIV increases with education, but so does the gap between knowledge and behavior......Page 153
5.11 Reported STI incidence varies among youths in Sub-Saharan Africa......Page 158
6.2 The share of youth fertility is high in countries with low fertility......Page 166
6.6 Young mothers do not get full care during antenatal visits......Page 170
7.1 Interest in politics is on the rise among youth ages 18–24 in low-income countries......Page 182
7.1 Do young people care less about politics than older groups? Not everywhere......Page 183
7.5 Countries incarcerate young people at very different rates......Page 199
8.1 Young people add disproportionately to the flow of developing country migrants......Page 209
8.2 Migrants from developing countries tend to return home at a relatively young age......Page 212
8.3 Patterns of migration and youth transitions vary according to age, gender, and circumstance......Page 213
8.4 Youth are more likely than older people to migrate illegally......Page 216
8.5 Leave a light on for them—most young people wish to migrate temporarily......Page 217
8.4 The digital divide among Indonesian youth......Page 222
8.8 Youth are more likely than older people to communicate with people abroad, especially using new technologies......Page 223
1 Policy goals, directions, actions, and programs......Page 42
3.1 Summary of youth education policies......Page 112
4.1 Employment transitions for youth (ages 16–30)......Page 133
4.2 Summary of youth employment policy directions and examples of programs......Page 138
5.1 Proportion of countries that include specific health topics in the school curriculum (percent)......Page 154
5.2 Summary of policies to improve young people's health and health behavior......Page 161
6.1 Programs and interventions that prepare youth for transition to family formation......Page 178
7.3 Women (ages 18–29) are less likely to discuss politics with friends......Page 185
7.4 Youth opinions on military and national service in 2005 (percentage agreeing or strongly agreeing)......Page 191
7.5 Summary of citizenship policy directions and examples of programs......Page 204
8.1 Youth make up a large share of developing country migrants......Page 211
8.2 Countries that restrict the right of women to emigrate......Page 220
8.5 What do youth do online?......Page 224
8.6 Policies for youth in a global world......Page 228