Measuring youth demographics is essential for designing policies and investments to secure sustainable futures and monitoring countries’ progress toward achieving the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This requires governments to know the size, sex, location, age structure, and other characteristics of their present and future young populations. Population and housing census data are in many cases the only national data source extensive enough to measure these characteristics within specific groups and at detailed small-area geographies.

This technical note describes how census data can be used to produce estimates on core topics for youth populations aged 15 to 24, especially in low-income countries that lack alternative data sources. This note takes a life cycle perspective to shed light on the vital events that take place during these formative years.

• This technical note is available in English and Arabic.