Situation of youth in the 1980s.

Situation of youth in the 1980s

Four out of five young people today live in developing regions--734 million, compared with 187 million young people in the developed areas--and the numbers are growing. In 1950, youth in less developed regions comprised 69 per cent of the total world youth population; in 1970, 74 per cent; in 1984, 80 per cent. They are expected to reach 84 per cent of the global youth total by the year 2000.

Youth populations in 1984 were distributed among the major regions as follows: Asia (more than 60 per cent of world youth) with South Asia constituting 34 per cent and East Asia 28 per cent of world youth totals; Africa (11 per cent); Latin America (9 per cent); Europe (8 per cent); North America (5 per cent); Soviet Union (5 per cent); and Oceania (5 per cent).

Growth rates in those areas differ widely. Between 1970 and 1984, the share of the world youth population increased in Africa, Latin America and South Asia, remained constant in East Asia and Oceania, and decreased in North America, Europe and the Soviet Union. Those trends are expected to continue from 1985 to 2000, except that Africa's share will increase at a much more rapid pace than before and East Asia's share will exhibit a sharp downturn.

Of the 922 million young people in 1984, 410 million (44 per cent) lived in urban areas and 512 million (56 per cent) in rural areas. The highest proportion was in the Soviet Union (81 per cent) and North America (80 per cent), followed by Oceania (79 per cent) and Western Europe (74 per cent).

Among the less developed regions, Latin America had the highest proportion of youth urban residents (70 per cent). Less than half the youth were urban residents in Africa (36 per cent), East Asia (35 per cent) in South Asia (30 per cent).

For the period 1984-2000, the largest increases in the proportion of urban youth population are projected for Africa (36 to 47 per cent). East Asia (35 to 47 per cent) and South Asia (30 to 42 per cent). A substantial decline in the growth rate of the urban youth population is expected in East Asia, however.

In 1984, there were 470 million males and 452 million females in the 15-to-24 age range. The ratio of male to female youth has changed only slightly since 1950, decreasing from 104.3 to 104.0 in 1960 and 103.9 in 1984. It is expected to decline to 103.7 by 1990, then rise again to 103.9 by the year 2000. The excess of males over females is most pronounced in Oceania, South Asia, Europe and...