Out-of-School Youth in Developing Countries: What the Data Do (and Do Not) Tell Us. Policy Study and Issue Paper Series

This report offers the first systematic analysis of out-of-school youth populations. In so doing, it estimates the youth bulge worldwide and measures key characteristics of out-of-school youth for sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries. In addition, as examples of how existing data can be used for analysis at the national and subnational levels, the report constructs country statistical profiles for out-of-school youth in Kenya and Ethiopia. These profiles examine indicators related to four sectoral dimensions of out-of-school status: education, employment, livelihood, and health. The analysis pays particular attention to age, gender, and urban versus rural status--all key factors that shape the lives of out-of-school youth. In addition, the study distinguishes patterns between and within countries, challenging the conventional wisdom that youth populations are a monolithic cohort. Understanding the differences as well as the similarities of youth is essential for effective youth policy and programming. This report uses existing data from the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS). This report is divided into five sections. Section 1 is this introduction and summary. Section 2 provides an overview of youth populations worldwide. Section 3 analyzes out-of-school youth populations in 25 SSA countries according to the main education, age, and gender differences among youth in those countries. Section 4 constructs a more detailed profile of youth in specific countries, using Ethiopia and Kenya as examples. It analyzes what is known about the relationship between education, employment, health, and socioeconomic status among youth at national and subnational levels. Section 5 explores the next steps for research on out-of-school youth based on the main findings of the report. Appended are: (1) Methodology; (2) Statistical Data; (3) Regional Profiles of Out-of-School Youth: Benin and Burkina Faso; (4) Country Profiles for Ethiopia and Kenya; and (5) Objectives of Proposed Youth Survey Research Tool. A bibliography is included. (Contains 19 figures and 25 endnotes.)