IRELAND IS THE 15th best country in the world to be a young person, a new survey has revealed.
The Global Youth Development Index ranks countries around the world in terms of prospects and opportunities for young people under a number of different headings.
It was compiled by the Commonwealth Secretariat – an inter-governmental organisation that works between the 53 countries in the Commonwealth.
The survey found vast differences in opportunities and equality for young people between the western world and other less developed countries.
Ireland ranked close to the top of the pile, coming 15th out of 183 countries on the global rank.
However, its position varies widely across the various categories:
Other countries
Germany topped the global rank, with Denmark and Australia coming second and third respectively. Britain ranked 4th on the list.
On the lower end of the scale, the Central African Republic came last on the list, ranked at 183.
Before this came Chad and Cote d-Ivoire.
Israel topped the rank in the health and well-being category (but came 31st in the global ranking overall); while the Netherlands came first in terms of education.
Most countries in Africa are well behind many places in the western world in terms of youth development, showcasing the vast inequality in terms of opportunities present.
The 10 lowest ranked countries were all in sub-Saharan Africa.
The report points to a population of 1.8 billion youth around the world.
Of this number, over half are in Asia. 15% of youth are in Africa, with just 6% located in Europe.
The Commonwealth Secretariat warned that investment was badly needed in countries to boost the life chances and opportunities of young people in developing nations.
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