Review of the Human Resources Development Status of Youth in the Asian and Pacific Region

The Asia and Pacific region is home to 659 million young people at the turn of the new millennium, constituting over 60 percent of the world youth population.

By 2025 the total number of young people in the region is projected to increase to 697 million, constituting 14.7 percent of the total population.

Integration and development of the full potential of youth are of critical importance to the development of the region.

There are four areas that have been identified as having the most crucial importance for youth in the Asian and Pacific region; education, health, employment and participation of youth in society and decision-making.

These areas were chosen based on the view that youth are a positive force in society whose potential should be fully developed and integrated today, and in the future.