30 Countries with the Youngest People in the World
Ramish Cheema
10 min read
In this piece, we will take a look at 30 countries with the youngest people in the world. If you want to skip our analysis of the youth on economic growth and some young people that did great things, then head on over to 5 Countries with the Youngest People in the World.
Youth is one of the largest determinants of a country's economic growth. This is due to the simple, and perhaps sardonic fact, that younger people have more years left to work and tend to have higher purchasing powers as they settle down in life and in their careers.
In fact, an aging population is one of the biggest problems that is facing one of the largest economies in the world, Japan. Japan has one of the lowest population growth rates in the world. Data from the United Nations shows that as of 2021, there were 26 million people aged 24 or younger in the country. In percentage terms, this represents nearly one fifth of the Japanese people in total, which is quite low compared to say, Iraq where more than half the people falls in the same age bracket.
Japan, which had the shortest baby boom after the second world war, is facing the consequences of low reproduction rates. The country's population has been dropping for more than a decade now, with one village not seeing a baby being born for 25 years. This has impacted its working age population, with estimates from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) showing that from the peak labor participation rate of 70% in the early 90s, currently, this rate sits at 59%. The lower percentage of people working necessitates higher taxes for those that are working, and it also makes it difficult for Japan to manage debt sustainably since taxes contribute to paying off loans taken by the government. Not to mention, it also forces Japanese workers to work even in old age - an occurrence that also reduces the country's productivity rate. For more details about this, be sure to check out 50 Most Densely Populated Countries in the World.
Naturally, just as an aging population creates economic problems, the converse is also true. This is particularly true in the case of Africa, which is one of the poorest continents in the world as 23 of the 28 poorest countries on the planet are located on the continent. However, since a large portion of its population is young, Africa is seeing optimistic development estimates all around. Africa is expected to account for 57% of the world's population growth by 2055, and it is officially the world's youngest continent right now as well, with 60% of its population being below 25 years of age. This growth is already presenting the continent with its fair share of problems, as while 11 million African youth enter the job market each year, it only generates 3.7 million jobs annually. This sounds counterintuitive on the surface; after all, how are 11 million people entering the labor market when there are less than half the number of jobs created each year? Well, most of these people enter the informal market which does not offer career stability or any protection. It also leads to a rising number of youth joining extremist movements.
On the positive side, and especially since they are unable to find jobs for themselves, Africans under 35 are being proactive and are creating their own jobs. According to data from the startup investor Antler, the median age of Unicorn, Soonicorn, and growth-stage founders in Africa is just 29, and as a whole, 80% of these companies are set up by people younger than 35. They are capitalizing on the massive potential offered by the Internet, and using it to develop effective markets. For Africa, a continent with the highest number of young people in the world, a large youth population is creating opportunities that other countries or regions would like to replicate. However, our list of the 20 Largest Economies in the World by 2050 includes only two African countries - indicating that perhaps there's more to be done to ensure sustainable economic development in the continent.
Finally, since we're on the topic of youth, our analysis would be incomplete if we did not mention that some of the biggest companies in the world right now were founded by young people. This list is endless. For instance, the story of the early days of the technology giant Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is the stuff of myth in Silicon Valley. Apple's co founder Mr. Steve Jobs, who is perhaps the greatest entrepreneur of the modern day age, was just 21 years old when he set up what is today the most valuable company on the planet. Think that's young? Well, Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META)'s founder, Mr. Mark Zuckerberg launched the first version of Facebook when he was just 20. Bill Gates was also 21 when set up Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT), but any such list would be incomplete without today's entrepreneurial behemoth Mr. Elon Musk who was 24 years old when he set up his first company Zip2. However, for the oldies among us, there's still hope as according to the Harvard Business Review, the most successful companies are actually set up by 45 year olds.
So, which companies have the highest number of young people in the world? Head on below to find out; after all, they might end up producing another Apple or Microsoft.
30 Countries with the Youngest People in the World
To compile our list of the countries with the youngest people, we used data from the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs through the 2022 Revision of World Population Prospects report. The countries with the highest number of people aged 24 or below are listed as those with the youngest people in the world.
30 Countries with the Youngest People in the World
30. Federal Republic of Germany
Total Population of Ages 0-24: 20 million
The Federal Republic of Germany is Europe's largest economy and has a population of 84 million people.
28. Kingdom of Thailand
Total Population of Ages 0-24: 20.2 million
The Kingdom of Thailand is a Southeast Asian country that ranks among the 20 most populous countries in the world. It has a population of 69 million as of 2022.
28. Republic of Mozambique
Total Population of Ages 0-24: 20.5 million
The Republic of Mozambique is an African nation with a population of 32 million, ensuring that it has one of the highest percentage of young people of its population on our list.
27. Republic of Angola
Total Population of Ages 0-24: 22.1 million
The Republic of Angola is a South African country. Like Mozambique, most of its population is made of young people as part of a trend representative of sub Saharan Africa.
26. Republic of the Union of Myanmar
Total Population of Ages 0-24: 22.5 million
The Republic of the Union of Myanmar is a Southeast Asian country, and unlike African countries, young people represent less than half of its population.
25. Republic of Iraq
Total Population of Ages 0-24: 25.2 million
The Republic of Iraq is a West Asian country. Rich in oil resources, the country has seen significant turmoil over the past couple of decades.
24. Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan
Total Population of Ages 0-24: 26.1 million
The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan is an Asian country with one of the lowest per capita incomes in the world. Its population is 38 million and the nominal GDP per capita is $611.
23. Japan
Total Population of Ages 0-24: 26.3 million
Japan is an economic powerhouse and one of the largest economies in the world. However, low birth rates are a major problem.
22. Republic of South Africa
Total Population of Ages 0-24: 26.4 million
The Republic of South Africa is one of the most developed countries in Africa. It has an economy worth $400 billion in nominal terms.
21. Republic of the Sudan
Total Population of Ages 0-24: 27.5 million
The Republic of the Sudan is one of the poorest nations in the world with a nominal GDP per capita of just $916.
20. Republic of Uganda
Total Population of Ages 0-24: 30.8 million
The Republic of Uganda is a landlocked East African nation with a population of 47 million - leading to one of the highest percentages of young people in the world.
19. Republic of Kenya
Total Population of Ages 0-24: 31.4 million
The Republic of Kenya is an East African nation that is quite prosperous at least in GDP terms. Its exports depend primarily on agricultural products.
18. Islamic Republic of Iran
Total Population of Ages 0-24: 32.2 million
The Islamic Republic of Iran is an oil rich Asian country with 87 million people living within its borders.
17. Republic of Türkiye
Total Population of Ages 0-24: 32.9 million
The Republic of Türkiye, or Turkey, is a prosperous European and Asian country. It has a diversified economy worth $1 trillion and a population of 85 million.
16. Socialist Republic of Vietnam
Total Population of Ages 0-24: 35.8 million
Vietnam is a Southeast Asian country with a massive population of 99 million - making it the 15th most populous country in the world.
15. Russian Federation
Total Population of Ages 0-24: 39.9 million
The Russian Federation is another European and Asian country. It has vast natural gas resources, an economy of $2.2 trillion, and a population of 144 million excluding Crimea.
14. United Republic of Tanzania
Total Population of Ages 0-24: 40.4 million
The United Republic of Tanzania is an East African nation with one of the highest youth population percentages on our list since it has a population of roughly 62 million.
13. United Mexican States
Total Population of Ages 0-24: 53 million
Mexico is a North American country. It has both one of the largest economies and the largest populations in the world.
12. Arab Republic of Egypt
Total Population of Ages 0-24: 54.7 million
The Arab Republic of Egypt is an African and Asian nation with a population of 109 million.
11. Republic of the Philippines
Total Population of Ages 0-24: 55.9 million
The Philippines has one of the largest metropolitan areas in the world which is its capital city Manila. More than half of its population is aged 24 years or younger.
10. Democratic Republic of the Congo
Total Population of Ages 0-24: 62.8 million
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is one of the largest countries in Africa. It has a population of approximately 112 million.
9. Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia
Total Population of Ages 0-24: 73.4 million
The Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia is an East African landlocked country. It has a $156 billion economy and is the 15th largest country in the world in terms of landmass.
8. Federative Republic of Brazil
Total Population of Ages 0-24: 76.9 million
The Federative Republic of Brazil is one of the most prosperous countries in South America and a growing economic power.
7. People's Republic of Bangladesh
Total Population of Ages 0-24: 77.8 million
With a population of 169 million, Bangladesh is one of the most populous nations on the planet. Additionally, its area of 57 thousand square miles also makes it the seventh most densely populated country.
6. United States of America
Total Population of Ages 0-24: 105.5 million
America has nearly twice the population of Bangladesh, which naturally also leaves it with more younger people.
