africa

Africa at a Fork in the Road: Taking Off or Disappointment Once Again?
Figure 6.3: Africa’s “Middle of the Pyramid”: Distribution of the African Population
by Classes
Source: African Development Bank Group.
Compared with other parts of the developing world, Africa’s demographic transition
is delayed. A positive aspect of this delay is that the share of youth (aged 15-24)
in Africa both north and south of the Sahara has been rising over time and is now
larger than in any other part of the world. This demographic dividend will also show
itself in the increased importance and role of Africa’s middle class in socioeconomic
development. These trends may lead to higher productivity and more rapid economic
growth.
Africa’s population is young and growing, and a rapidly expanding number of jobseekers
must be incorporated into labor markets. The number of graduate students
tripled in Sub-Saharan Africa between 1999 and 2009, yet young people account
for about 60 percent of the region’s unemployed. The demographic bulge offers the
possibility of a growth dividend if, as in East Asia, a rapidly growing work force can
be combined with capital and technology. But it can also represent a major threat.
Africa is not creating the number of jobs needed to absorb the 10-12 million young
people entering its labor markets each year, and, as recent events in North Africa
have shown, lack of jobs for a rapidly growing young labor force can undermine
social cohesion and political stability.
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