Youth bulge
Topic: World Population: Distribution, Density, Growth and Migration · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
A youth bulge is an unusually large share of young people in a population, usually those aged 15-24 or 15-29. It forms when deaths among children fall but births stay high for a while, so many children grow up into young adults together. It can speed up economic growth if there are enough jobs. If jobs are missing, it can lead to frustration and unrest.
Example
Pakistan in South Asia and much of sub-Saharan Africa have large youth bulges. Their governments face pressure to create jobs fast enough for the young people who reach working age each year.
Don't confuse with
- Population ageing: This is the opposite pattern. The share of old people rises because births and deaths are both low, as in Japan, Italy and South Korea.
Related concepts
- Demographic transition theory
- First stage of demographic transition
- Second stage of demographic transition
- Third stage of demographic transition
- Population ageing