Youth in the Middle East and North Africa: Demographic Opportunity or Challenge

Nearly one in five people living in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is between the ages of 15 and 24—the age group defined as “youth.”1 The current number of youth in the region is unprecedented: nearly 95 million in 2005. The extent to which this large group of young peo- ple will become healthy and productive members of their societies depends on how well governments and civil societies invest in social, economic, and political institutions that meet the current needs of young people.