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Most U.S. students go on to college after high school. The percentage reached its highest level ever in 2009 when 70 percent of high school graduates ages 16 to 24 were enrolled in an institution of higher education. More...

Youth in the Middle East and North Africa: Demographic Opportunity or Challenge? (PDF: 147KB)

Young People's Sexual and Reproductive Health in the Middle East and North Africa (PDF: 123KB)

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(April 2007) Two new policy briefs, published by the Middle East and North Africa Program at the Population Reference Bureau (Farzaneh Roudi-Fahimi, director) underscore the unprededented number of youth in MENA (95 million in 2005) and their current and future needs.

Highlights from: "Youth in the Middle East and North Africa: Demographic Opportunity or Challenge?"

• The increase in the proportion of 15-to-24-year-olds in the total population, combined with the rapid growth in the overall population, has resulted in the most rapid growth in the number of young people in the region's history.
• Over the last few decades, school enrollments have risen markedly throughout the region for both boys and girls, but illiteracy and school dropout rates remain unacceptably high in pockets of populations in some countries in the region.
• Greater numbers of students in MENA are acquiring more education, but the numbers do not always translate into higher rates of employment and wages. Too many young people have a hard time finding jobs.
• While learning and benefiting from other countries' experiences, every MENA government needs to map its pathway to reform in ways that are tailored to its country-specific conditions and desired outcomes.

This policy brief was written by Ragui Assaad, regional director for West Asia and North Africa at the Population Council, and Farzaneh (Nazy) Roudi-Fahimi, director of the Middle East and North Africa Program at the Population Reference Bureau.

Highlights from: "Young People's Sexual and Reproductive Health in the Middle East and North Africa"

• Today, young men and women in MENA spend more years in school and marry later. With puberty also starting earlier, largely because of better nutrition, the interval between childhood and assuming adult roles has lengthened.
• During this extended period of adolescence and young adulthood, young people may have sexual relations before marriage, putting them at risk for unintended pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). These risks are heightened by young people's lack of access to information and services related to sexual and reproductive health.
• Studies show that, while the majority of people in MENA have heard of HIV/AIDS, they may not know how it is transmitted, and they have heard little about other STIs. STIs are more common among young people than among other age groups.
• While the rising age of marriage has benefited women greatly by reducing the health risks associated with early childbearing, there are still population groups for whom early marriage and childbearing remain common. The highest rates are among Yemenis and Palestinians.
• In addressing sexual and reproductive health risks facing young people, MENA governments need to enact policies that provide comprehensive sexuality education; ensure the confidentiality of HIV testing; and integrate sexual and reproductive health services for young people into existing primary health care services, ensuring privacy and confidentiality.

This policy brief was written by Jocelyn DeJong, the American University of Beirut; Bonnie Shepard, of Social Sectors Development Strategies, Inc.; and Farzaneh Roudi-Fahimi and Lori Ashford of the Population Reference Bureau.