Unemployment, lack of education biggest worries plaguing youth: study

The biggest worries plaguing the youth of the country are unemployment and lack of education although most of them believed that their political leaders care about their needs, a new study has said.

About 55 per cent youth in the country also believed that they are knowledgeable about politics and government, and about 69 per cent believe that they can make a difference in how their country is governed.

Around 86 per cent youth is optimistic about the future of India, with most of them believing their political leaders care about them, according to the Goalkeepers Global Youth Poll.

The opinion poll was conducted by Ipsos Public Affairs ahead of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's second annual Goalkeepers event in New York this week.

The biggest worry plaguing the youth of the country was unemployment, 44 per cent of the respondents said followed by lack of education at 33 per cent.

According to analysis of data collected from India, about 86 per cent youth is optimistic about the future of India and 56 per cent express feelings of satisfaction about their political leaders.

The data for the study was collected from more than 40,000 respondents aged 12 and above in higher-income countries (Australia, France, Germany, Britain, Sweden, the US and Saudi Arabia) and lower- and middle-income countries (Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Mexico, Nigeria, and Russia), based on World Bank rankings.

The poll results suggest that decades of stunning progress in the fight against poverty and disease is being felt in lower- and middle-income countries.

Since 2000, the number of people living in extreme poverty has declined by more than 1 billion. However, rapid population growth in the poorest countries, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, is putting future progress at risk.

This year's report makes the case that investing in young people, particularly in their health and education, will be critical to unlocking productivity and innovation, and continuing to drive progress.