Global Youth Development Index 2020

WHY IN THE NEWS?

India was ranked at 122nd position among 181 countries in Global Youth Development Index, 2020. Commonwealth Secretariat released this triennial ranking of youth development for 181 countries.

About:

• The index measures the status of young people among 181 countries across the world.
• Singapore was ranked at the top for the first time.
• It is followed by Slovenia, Norway, Malta and Denmark.
• The bottom countries in the index include- Chad, the Central African Republic, South Sudan, Afghanistan and Niger.
• Index highlights that, condition of young people has improved worldwide by 3.1 per cent in between 2010 and 2018. However, the progress remained slow.
• In the index, 156 countries recorded at least slight improvements in their scores.
• The report also highlights the positive trajectory of youth development pre-pandemic time, which the covid-19 virus could reverse if urgent action is not taken to secure the gain.
• The top five improvers include- India, Afghanistan, Russia, Ethiopia, and Burkina Faso. They advanced their score on an average by 15.74 per cent.
• Countries like Libya, Syria, Ukraine, Jordan and Lebanon witnessed the greatest decline in youth development between 2010 and 2018.

How this index ranks countries?

• The Global Youth Development index ranks countries between the score of 0.00 (lowest) and 1.00 (highest) on the basis of developments in youth with respect to education, health, employment, equality & inclusion, political & civic participation, peace and security.
• It provides a score on the basis of 27 indicators, including literacy and voting, to showcase the state of 1.8 billion people across the world aged between 15 and 29.