PAKISTAN’S population is among the youngest in the world. It will also stay a young country for at least the next two decades. But who are the young? What do they think? What are their aspirations about their future and the country? How politically engaged are they? Can they be a transformative force?

First, some statistics to set the context. The 2023 census put Pakistan’s population at 241.5 million people (an estimated 256m today). Of this 67 per cent or 160m are below the age of 30. The youth bulge is reflected in the fact that 26pc or 63m people are between ages 15-29. This represents the largest youth population in the country’s history. Generation Z number around 71m or 29.5pc of the population. This cohort (ranging from 14 to 29 years old) is roughly those born between the mid-1990s and early 2010s.

The socioeconomic profile of youth shows around 27pc are still illiterate. This is the consequence of the fact that about 26m school-age children still have no access to school. It means millions grow up without any education, which constrains their employment chances and leaves them economically disadvantaged. The World Bank estimates 37pc of those aged 15 to 24 are not in employment, education, or training.

Although more research is needed into what young people think and want, studies and surveys undertaken in the past offer insights into their attitude, concerns and aspirations. The most comprehensive was UNDP’s Pakistan National Human Developmentreport of 2017, Unleashing the Potential of a Young Pakistan, whose findings remain relevant. Other studies include the British Council’s Next Generation report of 2023, and the prolific........

© Dawn