Status Report: Adolescents and Young People in Sub-Saharan Africa

Download Status Report: Adolescents and Young People in Sub-Saharan Africa, Opportunities and Challenges (PDF: 2.8MB)

(January 2013) Nearly half of the world's population, some 3 billion people, is under the age of 25. As the largest generation ever of young people, investments in their health and well-being are crucial so they can make a positive transition into adulthood and fully contribute to the economic and social development of their families, communities and nations. But in order to develop strategies and mobilize financial resources to support adolescent and youth development, decisionmakers need reliable, up-to-date demographic, health, education and socioeconomic data about young people.

PRB, in collaboration with UNFPA, developed a specialized interactive map and publication about young people in sub-Saharan Africa. The interactive map and report present available data for 20 specific indicators, disaggregated by age and sex when possible. The publication provides an overview of key data findings about population, education, employment, sexual and reproductive health, HIV/AIDS, and gender and social protection issues, and has 45 country profiles.

The available data for each indicator was ranked and sorted based on a three-tier system devised with technical guidance and input from UNFPA. For example, the color "red" is used to identify countries that need to take immediate action to address a particular indicator. "Yellow" is used to identify countries that are making progress in meeting targets for particular indicators, but many need additional investments to see further improvement. And "green" is used to distinguish countries that are making exceptional progress toward achieving targets or goals related to a particular indicator. The map is available in English and French (see link for French at bottom of map).