World Bank urges boost for young
Developing countries must invest in young people, promoting education and health and developing essential skills, a major World Bank report says.
The World Development Report says there are now a record 1.3 billion people aged 12-24 living around the world.
Those numbers could create problems in many nations if societies do not adapt, World Bank officials warn.
Although the number of young in primary education is rising, the report says some 130 million cannot read or write.
Young people are thought to make up about half the world’s unemployed, the report says.
It also estimates that about 100 million new jobs need to be created in the Middle East and across North Africa before 2020 to cope with the numbers of young people seeking work.