Analyst: Global youth boom shaping geopolitical landscape

Nearly 44 percent of the world’s 7.2 billion people are made up of individuals between the ages of 15 and 29 years old, Thomas Garrett, vice president for programs for the International Republican Institute, said in a recent Ripon Forum article, citing World Bank estimates.

Garrett said this global rise in the youth population can be seen particularly in Africa, where the World Bank estimates 40 percent of the population is under the age of 15 and 70 percent under 30 years old.

While in America, a younger population can lead to innovation and economic growth, in lesser-developed countries, the needs of youths aren’t being met, and it is having negative impacts even outside those countries’ borders.

“As Washington grapples with issues ranging from trade barriers, homeland security and the threat posed by al-Qaida and ISIS, understanding the implications of the world’s youth demographic is essential,” Garrett said.

In Asian countries, the youth population is demanding job protection, which will be a factor in trade talks between the U.S. and Asian countries.

“Young Ukrainians, long viewed as apathetic, staged weeks of demonstrations which led to the ouster of Moscow’s ally, President Viktor Yanukovych, after he ended talks in late 2013 for Ukraine’s membership in the European Union,” Garrett said. “In 2015, Washington and NATO face serious challenges from Vladimir Putin, in part as a result of his response to the changes initiated by young people in Kyiv.”

Younger populations in North Africa and the Middle East are becoming more aware through social media of the basic opportunities denied to them by their governments compared with people their age around the world, Garrett said.

“Here, the increase in the youth demographic is compounded by the traditional social strictures of the region,” Garrett said. “Young people typically remain in their parents’ home until marriage, and marriage isn’t likely without the money which comes from gainful employment.”