The demographics of the East African Community (EAC), particularly those of Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda, mirror those of Africa – decades of very high fertility in Africa, coupled with rapidly declining child mortality have created a population age-structure dominated by young people under the age of 25. Around 20% of the 127 million people in these four countries are between the ages of 15 and 24, and can be labelled as “youth” according to the United Nations definition.
This report summarises the findings of research on the socio-economic implications of youth demographics in the four East African Community (EAC) countries. It also poses recommendations that bring together evidence from reviewed literature, data, and scenario models to highlight the policy and implementation implications needed for each of the four countries, and for the region as a whole, to benefit from the youth bulge and the demographic dividend that can be earned.
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