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News release

International Youth Day: Majority of Africans – even of youth – consider the ideas of young people secondary to the wisdom of the elders

12 Aug 2022
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News release

Almost six in 10 Africans think it is more important to listen to the wisdom of the elders than to the fresh ideas of the youth, Afrobarometer’s analysis of data from 34 African countries shows.

The need to pay more attention to the youth is a minority view across key socio-demographic groups – even among youth themselves. Two striking exceptions are Tunisia and Morocco, where about seven in 10 citizens say the country should pay greater attention to the ideas of young people.

Although the survey shows that Africans are grappling with youth unemployment and do not think their governments are doing enough to address the needs of the youth, African youth tend to participate less in most forms of civic action and political engagement.

On International Youth Day, these findings point to the need to intensify advocacy for youth inclusion in policy making.