Afghan Youth: Challenges to Development

Depending on which source you read, youth defined as those aged between 15 and 29 years account for up to 70 percent of Afghanistans estimated population of 29 million. The median age of the nation is just 15.6 years. Referred to by demographers as a youth bulge, Afghanistans demographic realities present a stark contrast to the ageing populations of the West and much of South and Southeast Asia, providing a unique set of economic, political and social challenges. Described by experts as a statistically risky population, the desires, demands, successes and shortcomings of this generation will shape Afghanistans future in the years and decades to come. At present, the challenges this reality presents are sobering.