June 17, 2008
Young Arabs Poised to Maximize Their Potential
by Magali Rheault and Dalia Mogahed
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- As seeds hold the promise of a good harvest, youth personifies the great potential of a country. In the Middle East North Africa (MENA) region, people between the ages of 15 and 29 represent nearly 30% of the total population. This demographic cohort, 80 million strong, is the largest ever to enter the labor market in the region. The passage from childhood into adulthood bundles all the hopes, dreams, and aspirations of young Arabs. The ability to capture the demographic dividend from this youth bulge so that young Arabs become fully engaged in their communities and serve as the foundations of their countries' human capital cannot be underestimated.
The archetypical image of Arab youth is one of idleness at best and security threat at worst. Whether they hail from Tetouan, Morocco, or Sanaa, Yemen, the media often portray young Arabs, usually men, as lazy. In the North Africa, for example, the expression "holding the wall" refers to the young men who spend their days leaning against a wall with nothing to do. Further, this image of idleness becomes conflated with the concept of martyrdom, whereby marginalized, disillusioned young men turn to radicalism to find meaning in their lives and become suicide bombers in Iraq or Europe. While those who choose to become shahids (martyrs) represent a relatively small, fringe group, the dramatic consequences of their activities fuel the stereotype of Arab youth as a security risk.
But the poll findings show that respondents aged 15 to 29 have a lot of momentum to contribute to their communities and become agents of positive change in their countries' economies. The findings, which represent the views of nearly 80% of the Arab youth cohort, reveal that the tension that exists between human potential and utilization lies not in a lack of purpose, but instead in the perceived dearth of economic opportunities.
Food, Shelter, and Health
To gauge whether young Arabs' basic needs are being met, Gallup asked respondents about their ability to afford food and shelter, assessments of their personal health, and their perceptions of safety and community support. Overall, the poll results show that across the 11 countries surveyed, respondents' basic needs are satisfied. However, responses to some items tested in the poll vary by nation and the differences are relatively large. It is important to note that the Kuwait and United Arab Emirates (UAE) samples include nationals and non-nationals.
With respect to food, a regional median of just 10% of respondents say they did not have enough money to buy food in the past 12 months. But young Palestinians (36%), Yemenis (26%), and Moroccans (22%) are far more likely than other young respondents in the region are to say they at times lacked enough money to buy food. On the housing item, few respondents (a regional median of 8%) report lacking enough money at times in the past 12 months for an adequate shelter for themselves and their families. But young Moroccans (18%), Yemenis (15%), and the Palestinians (14%) are nearly twice as likely as other young respondents across the region are to say there were times when they didn't have enough to provide adequate shelter.
When asked about their social network, strong majorities of young respondents across all Arab countries surveyed say they have relatives and friends they can count on to help them whenever they need them. Percentages of respondents who expressed this ranged from a high of 95% in Kuwait to a relative low of 70% in Tunisia.
In terms of security, majorities of young respondents in most countries surveyed report feeling safe in their communities. In Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, at least 7 in 10 15- to 29-year-olds say they feel safe walking alone at night in their areas. But, fewer than 3 in 10 young Algerians (27%) say they do.
Young respondents' self-assessment of personal health shows that, for the most part, they report relatively high levels of satisfaction. However, in terms of emotional well-being, young Arabs surveyed report relatively high levels of some negative emotions, especially when compared with Americans and Europeans in the same age group.
Across all 11 countries surveyed, at least 8 in to 10 respondents aged 15 to 29 say they are satisfied with their personal health. For example, 95% of the young respondents in the UAE, 94% in Kuwait and Morocco, and 84% in Algeria report being satisfied with their personal health. Further, across the region a median of 13% of respondents report having health problems that prevent them from doing things that people their age can normally do. In Kuwait and Algeria, 20% and 18%, respectively, say they have such health problems. As points of comparison, 16% of 15- to 29-year-olds in the United States, 12% in Germany, and the United Kingdom, and 9% in France say the same.
While relatively high percentages of respondents across the 11 countries surveyed in the MENA region report experiencing negative emotions, poll results from 15- to 29-year-olds in France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States provide some important gauges against which to compare young Arabs' emotional health.
A median of 34% of young Arabs surveyed report having experienced worry a lot of the day before the survey. In Yemen, almost one-half of respondents (48%) report worrying a lot the day before and in Egypt, the Palestinian Territories, and Algeria, at least 4 in 10 say the same. As points of comparison, 37% of young Britons, 31% young Americans, and 28% of young respondents in France and Germany also report experiencing worry a lot of the day before the survey.
At least one-quarter of young people in Egypt (27%), the Palestinian Territories (27%), and Yemen (25%) report sadness a lot of the day before. Interestingly, young Saudis (13%) and Jordanians (13%) are as likely as young Americans (13%) are to say they experienced sadness a lot of the day before the survey.
Having nothing of interest to do presents serious challenges for youth development, but boredom is not restricted to young Arabs. Although 56% of young Palestinians and 47% of Lebanese report experiencing boredom a lot of the day before the survey, the poll results also reveal that 50% of young Americans say the same. Furthermore, young Britons (39%) are as likely as young respondents in Egypt (41%) are to report having experienced boredom a lot of the day before. Young Kuwaiti respondents (16%) are the least likely in the Arab countries surveyed to report being bored, and they are less likely to say so when compared with young German (32%) and French (24%) respondents.
However, greater percentages of young Arabs report feelings of anger and depression, than young Europeans and Americans surveyed. A median of 29% of respondents aged 15 to 29 across the 11 MENA region countries report experiencing anger a lot of the day before. Within the region, percentages of respondents who say they felt angry a lot the day before range from a high of 41% of young Palestinians (interestingly, young French respondents are as likely to report feeling angry, 39%) to a low of 16% of young respondents from Kuwait. As points of comparison, 2 in 10 young German, British, and American respondents say they experienced anger during a lot of the day before. While fewer young Arabs report having felt depressed than having felt angry, they are also more likely than Americans and Europeans to report this feeling. Within the region, reports of feeling depressed range from a high of 27% in Yemen and 26% in the Palestinian Territories to a low of 9% in Saudi Arabia and 11% in Kuwait. As points of comparison, just 8% of 15- to 29-year-olds in the United Kingdom and United States, 4% in France, and 3% in Germany report feeling depressed a lot of the day before.
High Sense of Mission and Hope
Often portrayed as aimless and lacking motivation, many young Arabs surveyed in the poll, including young Palestinians, say their lives have an important purpose. Respondents in the MENA region are as likely -- and in some cases, they are more likely -- than respondents in Western nations surveyed are to say their lives have an important purpose or meaning. Ninety-seven percent of young respondents in Kuwait and the UAE and 95% of young Saudis say they have an important purpose in life. As points of comparison, 86% and 84% of young French and British respondents, respectively, say the same. Interestingly, young Germans (78%) are as likely as young Palestinian respondents (80%) are to feel that their lives have an important meaning.
Additionally, Gallup asked respondents aged 15 to 29 in predominantly Arab countries as well as France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States to evaluate their life satisfaction using a "ladder" scale with steps numbered from 0 to 10, where "0" indicates the worst possible life and "10" the best possible life. Gallup specifically asked respondents which steps they stood on five years ago, where they stand now, and where they expect to stand five years from now and calculated mean scores to show average standing.
Across 11 countries in the Middle East North Africa (MENA) region, respondents' mean rating of their lives five years ago is 4.9 and 5.2 for their present situation. But when asked about where they expect to be five years from now, respondents report a mean score of 6.6. In many Arab countries, respondents rate their present lives higher than their past, except in Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon (the poll was conducted a few weeks after the 2006 conflict between Hezbollah and Israel), the Palestinian Territories, and Yemen. It is important to note that the Kuwait and UAE samples include nationals and non-nationals.
Comparisons of ratings of current personal standing across countries range from a mean of 4.4 among young Palestinians to 7.2 among Saudi respondents. And looking ahead five years, the mean scores for Palestinian (6.0) and Yemeni (6.1) respondents suggest they are the least optimistic of those surveyed, while respondents from the UAE (mean of 8.2) are the most optimistic.
Although results from the ladder question show that Arab respondents' rate their past, present, and future life satisfaction lower than do young respondents in Western countries surveyed, respondents from the MENA region express similar, and in some cases, higher levels of hope of a better life, as measured by the difference between future and current standings.
Interestingly, young Saudis and Americans express similar levels of hope that their lives will improve in the future, with differences between future and current standings of 0.69 and 0.65, respectively. In all other MENA countries included in the poll, young Arabs express more hope for a better life than young Americans do. Furthermore, young respondents in Algeria and Kuwait express as much hope for the future as young Britons. Even in Lebanon, the Palestinian Territories, and Yemen, youths' stash of hope for a better life tops that expressed by young American, French, and German respondents.
Perceptions of Opportunities
As governments across the MENA region are restructuring their economies by reducing the size of their public sector while promoting the development of market-based economies, the transition from school to workplace remains a challenge for many young Arabs. However, educational systems that emphasize rigid academic credentials instead of readily transferable skills have further impeded many young Arabs to work in the private sector. Across the 11 Arab countries surveyed, a median of 30% of 15- to 29-year-olds tell Gallup they have a job, either paid or unpaid. Responses vary from a low of 17% in Tunisia and 19% in Algeria to a high of 56% in Kuwait. As points of comparison, 72% of young respondents aged 15 to 29 in the United Kingdom, 68% in France, and 58% in Germany say they have a job, either paid or unpaid.
Young Arabs' perceptions of professional opportunities in their countries paint a mixed picture. On the one hand, young respondents report that many conditions for potential development are already present. On the other hand, perceptions of poor economic conditions and dearth of jobs present major obstacles for young people in the MENA region to feel they can ever maximize their potential.
In most MENA countries surveyed, majorities of young respondents with a job (either paid or unpaid) say they have the opportunity at work to do what they do best every day. Eighty-eight percent of young Saudis, 74% of Palestinians, and 62% of Lebanese say they have this opportunity; 77% of young British and 55% of German respondents say the same. Furthermore, strong majorities of young Arabs (except in Algeria and Yemen) who say they work also say there is someone at work who encourages their development: In Saudi Arabia (80%), Palestinian Territories (70%), and Morocco (62%), percentages are on par with those observed in Germany (70%) and France (61%) when taking the margin of error into account.
Although many young respondents in the Arab world say they are satisfied with their freedom to choose what they do with their lives, overall, they are less likely to express such satisfaction when compared with young people in the Western countries surveyed. Satisfaction to choose what to do is relatively high in some Gulf countries such as the UAE (85%) and Kuwait (82%). But in all other Arab countries surveyed, such satisfaction ranges from a low of 40% in the Palestinian Territories and 46% in Algeria to a high of 67% in Yemen. In the United States, 91% of young respondents say they are satisfied with the freedom to choose what to do with their lives, and in the other Western countries surveyed, at least three-quarters of 15- to 29-year-old respondents express the same satisfaction: France (76%), Germany (78%), and United Kingdom (85%).
An environment that rewards hard work provides an important incentive for youth to remain motivated. Overall, strong majorities of young Arabs believe that hard work pays off. At least 9 in 10 in the UAE (94%), Kuwait (94%), Morocco (93%), and Egypt (92%) say people in their countries can get ahead by working hard. In France, Germany, and the United Kingdom, at least 7 in 10 young respondents say the same.
Another important element to nurture a positive mind-set is respect. According to the poll findings, young Arabs are as likely as young respondents in Western countries surveyed are to report having felt respected all day on the day before the survey. For example, 92% of young Lebanese and Kuwaitis, 88% of Egyptians, and 81% of Palestinians say they were treated with respect all day. In France, 90% of young respondents say the same.
But when asked about economic opportunities, young Arabs paint a bleak picture. Few respondents in the 11 Arab countries surveyed, save for Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, believe it is a good time for job seekers. However, such low perceptions of good job markets are on par with French and German young respondents' perceptions, where 14% and 22%, respectively, say now is a good time to find a job in their communities. In the United Kingdom and the United States, attitudes about the local job market are more positive, as 56% and 58% of respondents aged 15 to 29, respectively, say now is a good time. In the MENA countries surveyed, 46% of young respondents in the UAE, 33% in Morocco, and 15% in the Palestinian Territories say the same. Kuwait and Saudi Arabia are the only two countries in the region, where a majority of young people, 69% and 63%, respectively, say now is a good time to find a job. And across all MENA countries surveyed, a regional median of just 23% of respondents aged 15 to 29 believe that now is a good time to find a job in their local communities.
To better understand how young respondents' perceive their economic opportunities, Gallup also asked 15- to 29-year-olds about their satisfaction with job creation efforts. Across the 11 countries, a median of 39% of young respondents say they are satisfied with efforts to increase the number and quality of jobs. Forty-three percent of young Jordanians, 25% of Moroccans, and just 18% of Yemenis and 13% of Palestinians express satisfaction with the number and quality of jobs being created in their countries. Such attitudes, however, are similar to those expressed by German (33%) and French (21%) respondents. Further, Kuwait (77%) and Saudi Arabia (54%) are the only countries where strong majorities express satisfaction with job creation. As a point of comparison, 50% of young Americans express such satisfaction.
Except in Egypt and Yemen, majorities of young respondents in all other Arab countries surveyed perceive their local areas to be good places for entrepreneurs. Three-quarters of young respondents in the UAE, 67% of Tunisian respondents, and 61% of Algerian respondents say that their communities are good places to live for entrepreneurs forming new businesses. Such perceptions are similar to those expressed by young respondents in the United States (73%), the United Kingdom (71%), and France (64%). But young Germans (41%), like those in Egypt (35%) and Yemen (46%), are far less likely than other young people surveyed are to say their communities are good places for entrepreneurs.
However, perceptions that local areas are good places for business-minded individuals do not necessarily translate into a desire to become entrepreneurs. Across the countries surveyed (the question was not asked in Kuwait and the UAE), a median of 9% of young respondents say they are planning to start their own business in the next 12 months. Twelve percent of young Palestinians, 9% of young Yemenis and Lebanese, and 1% of young Tunisians express an interest in starting their own business soon. However, such low levels of entrepreneurship are on par with those expressed by young respondents in France (5%), Germany (5%), the United Kingdom (7%), and the United States (8%). Nevertheless, about one-fifth young Egyptians (21%) and Moroccans (20%) say they plan to start a business in the next 12 months.
Overall, the poll results show that young Arabs surveyed are poised for change. A high sense of purpose and mission, combined with hope of a better life, exemplify the mind-set of young Arabs. Even young respondents who live in zones of conflict, which present their own challenges for the full utilization of human capital, express great hopes of a better future. Far from projecting an image of burden or a desire to be passive observers, the poll findings reveal that young Arabs are eager to channel their potential into positive activities.
Nevertheless, economic obstacles, and more specifically, young Arabs' perceptions of a dearth of jobs, impede their ability to align their potential and hope with concrete professional opportunities. This poor economic environment prevents young Arabs from harnessing their potential and becoming fully engaged participants in their societies. Additionally, it fuels negative emotions such as anger and depression, which, over time, become so overwhelming that they can erode the hope of even the most resilient members of this young generation. It is critical to remove these obstacles so that the demographic dividend of the youth bulge can be maximized to build prosperous and dynamic societies throughout the Arab world.
