Adolescents and Youth

Globally, the number of adolescents and young people is at an all-time high. While the number of young people has been declining in the more developed regions since it peaked around 1980, it has been increasing in the less developed regions and is expected to continue to grow over the next few decades.

The size of the successive cohorts of young people has implications for the demand for education and health, the supply of labour as they enter the labour market, and can constitute a dynamic force of political change and social transformation.

The Division publishes reports and briefs on adolescents and youth (see list below), and collaborates with other divisions of DESA and other UN entities in organizing and servicing expert meetings and producing analytical reports on the topic.