Report. Youth Reality in the Americas. Prepared by. Young Americas Business Trust for. The Organization of American States

Transcription

1 Report Prepared by Young Americas Business Trust for The Organization of American States Within the framework of the OAS Inter-Departmental Meetings requested by the Assistant Secretary General September 5, 2007 Washington, D.C.

2 Young Americas Business Trust Organización de los Estados Americanos Organização dos Estados Americanos Organisation des États Américains Organization of American States Statistics of youth in the region 1. Introduction According to the 2007 World Development Report issued by World Bank, there are currently 1.5 billion youth between the ages of worldwide, 1.3 billion of which live in developing countries - the most ever in history. There are an estimated 57 million young people in Latin America between the ages of (Youth Employment, ILO, 2006), while approximately 30 percent of the 6.7 million people living in the Caribbean are between 10 and 24 years of age (Caribbean Youth, World Bank, 2003). With over 200 million youth living in poverty, 130 million illiterate, 88 million unemployed, and 10 million living with HIV/AIDS, the case for investing in young people today is clear. (World Youth Report, UN, 2005) In order to prepare a complete diagnostic of the youth situation in the Americas, we have selected six main issues/topics (poverty, unemployment, education, health, violence and technology) affecting young people today, and divided into three geographical areas the world (as compared with the Americas), the Americas, and individual countries in the Americas. 2. Global Trend and the Americas Youth Poverty Almost one in five young people (15- to 24-year olds worldwide) are living on less than US$ 1 per day, while almost half are living on less than US$ 2 per day. Over 200 million young people live on less than one dollar a day, and 515 million on less than two dollars a day (World Youth Report, UN, 2005). The largest proportion of youth living in poverty can be found in South Asia, which accounts for 4 out of every 10 young people living on less than US$ 1 or US$ 2 a day (World Youth Report, UN, 2005). Nearly 11.1 million young people are living on less than US $1 per day in Latin America and the Caribbean, as compared to 4.1 million in Europe and Central Asia, 2 million in the Middle East and North Africa, 46.5 million in East Asia and the Pacific, 84.1 in South Asia, and 60.7 million in Sub-Saharan Africa (World Youth Report, UN, 2005). Youth Unemployment Unemployed youth make up almost half of the world s total unemployed population. Young people everywhere experience considerable difficulties entering the labor market. On average, across regions, youth unemployment is about 2 to 3 times the national unemployment rate (World Bank, 2007). For example, the Middle East and the North Africa region alone must create 100 million jobs by 2020 in order to stabilize its employment situation. Moreover, surveys of young people in East Asia, Eastern Europe, and Central Asia, carried out as research for the report, indicate that access to jobs, along with physical security, are young peoples greatest concerns (World Development Report, World Bank, 2007). The highest youth unemployment rate in the world is in North Africa (25.7percent), followed by Central and Eastern Europe (non-eu) and the CIS at19.9 percent. Sub-Saharan Africa s rate was 18.1 per cent, followed by Latin America and the Caribbean (16.6 per cent) (Global Employment Trends for Youth, ILO, 2007). The largest increase in unemployment between 2004 and 2005 can be found in Latin America and the Caribbean, where the number of unemployed rose by nearly 1.3 million and the unemployment rate increased by 0.3 percentage points to 7.7 percent. Additionally, the Central and Eastern Europe (non-eu) and CIS regions witnessed a year-over-year increase in unemployment, which stood at 9.7 percent, up from 9.5 per cent in 2004 (Employment Trends for Youth, ILO, 2006).

3 Youth Education Expansion of access to formal schooling contributed to an increase in the global youth literacy rate from 75% to 88% between 1970 and In developing countries, the youth literacy rate increased during each of the past three decades by about thirteen, nine and five percentage points, respectively (UNESCO, 2006). The current generation of youth is the best-educated so far. Since 1995, the number of children completing primary school has continued to increase, and four out of five young people in the eligible age group are now in secondary school. Also tertiary enrolment has increased; it is estimated that globally, some 100 million youth are currently enrolled in university-level education. Yet, 113 million children are not in school; this compares with the current cohort of 130 million youth who are illiterate (World Youth Report, UN, 2005). From , the youth literacy rate in Latin America and the Caribbean was high at 95.9, as compared to Developed and transition countries (99.7), East Asia and the Pacific (97.9), South and West Asia (73.1), Arab States (78.3), and Sub-Saharan Africa (72) (UNESCO, 2006). Youth Health More than half of all HIV/AIDS infections occur among young people under 25, most instances due to voluntary sexual behavior or intravenous drug use In 2005, more than half the estimated 5 million people who contracted HIV worldwide were young people between 15 and 24, the majority of them young women and girls (World Development Report, World Bank, 2007). Around 6% of youth in Latin America are infected with HIV, as compared to 1% in the Caribbean and 2% in industrialized countries. Of the over 1 billion youth (ages 15-24) worldwide, some 10 million are living with HIV, of which 63 per cent live in sub-saharan Africa and 18% live in South and South-East Asia (State of the World Population 2005, UNFPA, 2005). Every year, about 22,000 women in the LAC region die in pregnancy and childbirth, which is about 4 percent of 530,000 such deaths worldwide (Better Health in Latin America and the Caribbean, USAID, 2002). Youth Violence Across the world an average of 565 young people aged 10 to 29 die every day through interpersonal violence, with males at a greater risk, and for each death there are an estimated 20 to 40 youth that require hospital treatment for a violence-related injury (World Health Organization, 2003). In Latin America, the highest homicide rates of any age group across the population occur among year olds. In other regions, including Africa, Eastern Europe and Central Asia, homicide rates continue to rise after the age of 15-19, peaking among young adults in their twenties, or even later (World Health Organization, 2003). The countries with high rates of adolescent homicide tend to be in the Americas and Africa, while the countries with low rates of adolescent homicide tend to be in Western Europe or in Asia (World Health Organization, 2003). Technology and Youth Investments in science and technology equivalent to 1 % of the gross domestic product (GDP), usually the target of many Latin American countries, is not enough to achieve critical levels of development and reduce the increasing scientific and technological gap (Science and Technology Department, OAS, 2004). 331 out of every 1,000 people in Europe use the Internet, but the same is true for only around 92 per 1,000 in Latin American and the Caribbean, 37 per 1,000 in the Middle East and North Africa, and 15 per 1,000 in South Asia and sub-saharan Africa. Rates of radio ownership are 813 per 1,000 in Europe but 410 per 1,000 in Latin American and the Caribbean, 277 per 1,000 in the Middle East and North Africa, and 198 per 1,000 in sub-saharan Africa ( World Youth Report, UN, 2005). Young Americas Business Trust 9/5/

4 On a per capita basis, the number of scientists and technologists in Latin America and the Caribbean is in general 5-10 times lower than that found in industrialized countries. In the 1970s, Latin America s technological development with respect to Asia was quite similar. However, the increasing investments dedicated to research and development (R&D) in science and technology and in education made by some Asian countries during the following decades contributed to the region s surpassing many other developing countries, including those in Latin America and the Caribbean (Science and Technology Department, OAS, 2004). 3. Regional Trend in the Americas Youth Poverty There are more than 200 million poor people in Latin America (Gatjens, Alarming increase, 2002). Although poverty rates among young people are lower than for the rest of the population, they have been falling more slowly over the last 10 years and the total number of young people living in poverty is actually rising. Between 1990 and 2002 the youth poverty rate has decreased by 4.7%, but at the same time there are now an additional 15.1 million young people living in poverty (Social Panorama of Latin America, ECLAC, 2004). In Latin America, young people living in poverty are less likely to receive income than the non-poor. Among young people in employment, labour income and wage increases by age group are substantially higher among the non-poor (Social Panorama of Latin America, ECLAC, 2004). Youth Unemployment The total youth unemployment rate for the United States in 2001 was 10.6, while for Latin America and the Caribbean (average) it was Approximately 60 percent of all employed youth are in the commercial and services sector. The percent of youth in the active labor market is declining in most Latin American countries (Youth in Numbers, World Bank, 2005). In Latin America and the Caribbean the youth unemployment rate is twice the overall unemployment rate and three times the rate for adults; in some countries it is as high as five times the rate for adults over age 45.What is more, young people account for about 50 per cent of all unemployed workers in nearly every country in the region (Hopenhayn, Youth and Employment in Latin America and the Caribbean, 2002). Between 1990 and 2002, the unemployment rate in Latin America increased among young people from all five income quintiles. Around 2002, average regional unemployment among young people in the richest quintile was 8.7%, compared with 28.1% in the poorest quintile (Social Panorama of Latin America, ECLAC, 2004). Youth Education In 2003 Central American and Caribbean countries had a lower literacy rate than South American countries; in Central America and the Caribbean 6 countries had literacy rates below 95, ranging from , while in South America all countries have literacy rates above 95 (Youth in Numbers, World Bank, 2005). With regards to net secondary school enrolment, in Central American countries had lowest enrolment while Caribbean countries tended to have higher percentages of enrolment; South American countries and Mexico fell between the range of 50-75% enrolment (Youth in Numbers, World Bank, 2005). The Caribbean average youth literacy rate in 2003 was 87.1, as compared to the world youth average of 86.8 (Youth in Numbers, World Bank, 2005). Youth Health Malnutrition continues to be a major concern, particularly in Central America, where stunting among children under age 5 is still very high. Stunting is a sign of nutritional deficiencies that result in irreversible physical and mental limitations, leaving these children with a burden they will carry into adult life (Youth in Numbers, World Bank, 2005). Young Americas Business Trust 9/5/

5 HIV/AIDS is now the leading cause of death (followed by cardiovascular diseases) among adults in USAID-assisted countries in the region [Latin America and Caribbean], accounting for roughly 9.5 percent of all deaths. The number of people living with HIV/AIDS has risen to an estimated 2.1 million. While the number of people infected in the region is small compared with other regions, it is important to note that HIV/AIDS continues to spread in most Latin American and Caribbean countries and that transmission patterns have moved increasingly from marginalized groups toward the general population (Better Health in Latin America and the Caribbean, USAID, 2002). With its large population, Brazil accounts for more than one-third of people living with AIDS in the region, although the Caribbean subregion has a higher prevalence rate. In the Caribbean, HIV/AIDS claimed an estimated 24,000 lives in 2005, making it the leading cause of death among adults ages 15 to 44 years. Approximately 300,000 people are living with HIV in the Caribbean, including 30,000 newly infected in 2005 (Health Profile, USAID, 2006). Reported malaria cases in the region exceeded 800,000 in 2003, with more than 75 percent occurring in the Amazon Basin countries of Brazil, Colombia, and Peru. Dengue and dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) pose another serious public health threat in the region. Brazil, Colombia, and the Central America subregion account for the majority of cases. In 2002 and 2003, reported cases of dengue and DHF in USAID-assisted countries totaled nearly 1.4 million (Better Health in Latin America and the Caribbean, USAID, 2002). Youth Violence Latin American youth are the group most targeted for violence in the world. About 29% of homicides in Latin America are among children and youth from 10 to 19 years of age. Available figures indicate that homicide is the second leading cause of death for this age group in 10 of the 21 countries of the region which have populations of over 1 million inhabitants. Youth homicide rates can be up to three times higher than national homicide rates (Pinheiro, Youth Violence, 2006). Of the top 10 countries with the highest child murder rates, seven are in Latin America. Of 185 million children and adolescents in the region, no fewer than six million are subjected to severe aggression while another 80,000 are killed every year in the safety of their own homes (World Vision International, 2002). Low-end estimates suggest that there are 70, ,000 gang members in the Central American region and high end estimates sometimes triple that number (Ribando, Gangs in Central America, 2002). Youth Technology According to data from UNESCO, the number of television sets per 1,000 people in Latin America and the Caribbean increased from 98 to 205 between 1980 and 1987, and the number of radios rose from 259 in 1980 to 413 in 1996, thereby making this the developing region with the highest concentration of televisions and radios. The music, video and video game industry has also expanded over the last 20 years, with young people being the main consumers (Social Panorama of Latin America, ECLAC, 2004). While the internet penetration rate in North America is 69%, the rate is 21% in South America, 18% in Central America, and 15% in the Caribbean. There are 232 million internet users in North America, 77 million in South America, 25 million in Central America, and 5 million in the Caribbean (Internet Usage Statistics for the Americas, 2007). Of the English speaking countries of the Caribbean, Barbados, Jamaica, the Bahamas and Trinidad and Tobago have the most modern manufacturing and technology (Morris, Challenges for the Caribbean, 2005). Young Americas Business Trust 9/5/

6 4. Trend by Country Youth Poverty Brazil has the tenth largest population of young people living on less than US $2 per day (World Youth Report, UN, 2005). On the top of the poverty list in Latin America are Honduras (79.1%), Nicaragua (67.4%), Paraguay (61.8%), Bolivia (61.2%), Ecuador (60.2%), Guatemala (60.4%), Colombia (54.9%), and El Salvador (49.9%). Uruguay (11.4%), Chile (20%) and Costa Rica (21.7%) have the lowest poverty rates (World Youth Report, UN, 2005). In the Caribbean, Haiti and Suriname have the highest poverty rates with approximately 65% and 63% respectively of populations living under the poverty line. In Haiti, 20% of the population is between 15 and 24, and 49% of households live in extreme poverty and contain more youth than the country s average. Two-thirds of the country s youth are of the opinion that poverty is a very serious problem for Haiti (Factors Influencing Youth Development in Haiti, World Bank, 2007). Youth Unemployment Countries in Latin America and the Caribbean with the highest youth unemployment rates include Suriname (83.5), St. Lucia (44), Colombia (36.3), St. Vincent and the Grenadines (36) Uruguay (34.2), Jamaica (34), and Argentina (31.8) (Youth in Numbers, World Bank, 2005). With the exception of Barbados, youth unemployment in every country of the Caribbean represents 40-60% of the unemployed population, despite the fact that youth make up only 20-30% of the labor force (Kazi, Youth Unemployment in the Caribbean). In Guyana, youth between 15 and 24 make up 66.9% of the total unemployed population, and 21.1% of youth are unemployed as compared to 5.2% of adults (Kazi, Youth Unemployment in the Caribbean). In Argentina, Colombia, and Panama, there is declining participation of female youth in the labor market (Fawcett, Latin American Youth, 2002). Youth Education Haiti has the lowest youth literacy rate of Latin America and the Caribbean, at 67.0 in Most countries have a youth literacy rate of higher than 95. Those countries under this rate include the Dominican Republic (92), El Salvador (89.3), Guatemala (80.6), Honduras (86.4), Jamaica (94.7), and Nicaragua (72.6) (Youth in Numbers, World Bank, 2005). Latin American and Caribbean countries with the lowest net secondary school enrolment in include Guatemala (21%), Nicaragua (37%), the Dominican Republic (41%), El Salvador (46%), and Paraguay (50%). Secondary school enrolment in the United States is at 85%; Latin American and Caribbean countries with rates at or above 85% include Barbados (87%) and Guyana (86) (Youth in Numbers, World Bank, 2005). The total gross tertiary enrolment rate for students in Latin America and the Caribbean between 1998 and 2002 is lowest in Trinidad and Tobago (7.3), Suriname (12.2), Netherlands Antilles (14), Honduras (14.3), El Salvador (16.7), Jamaica (17.2), Brazil (18.2), Paraguay (18.6), and Costa Rica (20.5). Highest rates can be found in Bermuda (61.8), Argentina (56.3), and the British Virgin Islands (51.4). This is comparable to rates in the UK (59), while in the US the rate is 81 (Youth in Numbers, World Bank, 2005). Youth Health Countries in Latin and the Caribbean most hit by the HIV/AIDS epidemic include Haiti (3.7% prevalence), Guyana (2.4%), and Belize (2.5%) (Youth in Numbers, World Bank, 2005). Honduras is hardest hit by HIV/AIDS in all of Central America. An estimated 63,000 adults and children are living with HIV in Honduras, 70 per cent of them young people. AIDS has become the leading cause of death among women of childbearing age in Honduras. 55 per cent of all people living with HIV/AIDS in Honduras currently have access to ARV therapy, up from 5 per cent in Young Americas Business Trust 9/5/

7 2002. This is an impressive gain since globally fewer than one in ten people who need antiretroviral therapy receive it (Voices of Women, UNFPA, 2004). Haitian mothers continue to face the worst reproductive health conditions in the region. Maternal mortality hovers at an alarmingly high 523 deaths for every 100,000 live births (Voices of Women, UNFPA, 2004). Youth Violence Half of all murders and violent crimes in Jamaica are committed by young males 18 25, who make up 10 percent of the population (World Development Report, World Bank, 2007). Latin American countries with the highest rate (per 100,000 inhabitants) of convicted juveniles admitted to prison on a selected day include Barbados (6), Jamaica (7.1), Paraguay (6.3), and Suriname (16.6) (Youth in Numbers, World Bank, 2005). Latin American countries with the highest rate of male mortality caused by homicide (per 100,000 inhabitants) include Colombia (212.5), El Salvador (133.1), and Brazil (81.2) (Youth in Numbers, World Bank, 2005). Technology and Youth Internet access at school varies considerably across countries. Some richer, developing countries have connected many schools, with Chile having 75 percent of schools online. In contrast, data from six Sub-Saharan African countries reveal that fewer than 1 percent of schools are covered (World Development Report, World Bank. 2007). Unlike television, which is watched by all generations, access to virtual culture is affected by the generation gap. By the year 2000 in Brazil, 15.8% of young people aged 14 to 19 had used Internet, compared with 11.3% of people aged 20 to 25, 5.6% of 36 to 45 year olds and 3% of those aged over 45. In the case of personal computers, the figures were 27%, 19%, 13.7% and 6.3%, respectively (Social Panorama of Latin America, ECLAC, 2004). In Mexico, 30% of people aged under 20, and 36% of those aged 20 to 29 were Internet users in This figure dropped to 18% among those aged 30 to 39, 9% among 40 to 59 year olds and 4% in those aged 60 and over (Social Panorama of Latin America, ECLAC, 2004). Young Americas Business Trust 9/5/

8 5. Bibliography Caribbean Youth Development: Issues and Policy Development. World Bank < db4e d c6e/$file/execsummary2.pdf>. Accessed Estrategias de generación de empleo para los y las jóvenes. Maria Claudia Camacho P. Departamento de Desarrollo Social y Empleo OEA. San Jose, Mayo 8-11, 2007 Faces of Violence in Latin America and the Caribbean. World Vision International < Accessed Fawcett, Caroline. Latin American Youth in Transition: A Policy Paper on Youth Unemployment in Latin America and the Caribbean. Inter-American Development Bank < Accessed Gatjens, Astorga and Luis Fernando. Alarming Increase of Poverty in Latin America. Disability World < Accessed Global Employment Trends for Youth. ILO < Accessed Health Profile, Latin America and the Caribbean. USAID < Hopenhayn, Martin. Youth and Employment in Latin America and the Caribbean: Problems, Prospects and Options. ECLAC. < Justesen, Michael and Dorte Verner. Factors Impacting Youth Development in Haiti. World Bank < 6406_ /Rendered/PDF/wps4110.pdf>. Accessed Kazi, Tamjidul Huda. Youth Unemployment in the Caribbean: Social and Economic Backgrounds. < Accessed Internet Usage Statistics for the Americas < Accessed Mapping the Global Literacy Challenge. Education for All Global Monitoring Project, UNESCO < Accessed Morris, Jacqueline. Challenges for Latin America and the Caribbean. WGIG < Accessed Pinheiro, Paulo Sérgio. Youth Violence and Democracy in Latin America. Notes for oral presentation by the Independent Expert. Alistair Berkley Memorial Lecture. International Workshop, LSE, London, May, Ribando, Clare. Youth Gangs in Central America. CRS Report for Congress < Accessed Scientific and Technological Development in the Americas. Organization of American States, Division of Science and Technology < Accessed Social Panorama of Latin America. ECLAC < Accessed A Story to Tell: Better Health in Latin America and the Caribbean. USAID < Accessed World Youth Report. UN < Voices of Women Living with HIV/AIDS in Honduras. UNFPA < Accessed World Development Report. World Bank < Accessed Youth Employment in Latin America: Overcoming a Lost Decade. International Labour Organization < Accessed Youth and HIV/AIDS Fact Sheet, State of the World Population UNFPA < Accessed Youth in Numbers: Latin America and the Caribbean. World Bank Youth violence and alcohol. World Bank < Accessed Young Americas Business Trust 9/5/