Investing in Uganda’s Youth
Uganda’s recent population growth presents real opportunities as well as challenges. Thanks to its youthful population and the decline in birth and death rates, Uganda has the possibility to accelerate economic growth and reap the associated benefits such as improving health care and education. Economists refer to this as a “demographic dividend.” Others describe it as a “youth bulge.”
At 90 million strong, the U.S. has its own youth bulge. Millennials (age 20-39) are now the largest generation in the United States, according to the United States Census Bureau. Generation Z (age 0-19) is not far behind, at 82.4 million, accounting for 25 percent of the US population. On a bar graph, this is quite a “youth bulge,” but it is small compared with the “bulge” in Uganda, where over 75% of the population is under 30.[1]
As countries develop, a key step that leads to flourishing is lowering infant mortality rates, allowing the population to thrive. Young people bring energy, strength and enthusiasm to a society.