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2 (c) UK: The Realities of Having an Ageing Population in the UK 

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2 (c) UK: The Realities of Having an Ageing Population in the UK 

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This should help provide you with the structure of the UK's population.

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In mid-2017, the population of the UK was an estimated 66 million - its largest ever.

The UK population is projected to continue growing, reaching almost 73 million by 2041.

Sustained UK growth results from births outnumbering deaths (by 148,000 in 2017) and immigration exceeding emigration (by 282,000 in 2017).

In 2017, there were 27.2 million households in the UK and 19 million families.

In 2017, about 86% of the UK population were UK-born and about 90% were British nationals - down from about 89% and 93%, respectively, in 2007.

Although improvements in life expectancy have recently stalled, the UK population is generally living longer than it has before; babies born in 2015 to 2017 are expected to live 79.2 years if male (up 2.0 years since 2005 to 2007) or 82.9 years if female (up 1.4 years since 2005 to 2007).

The UK population is ageing - around 18.2% of the UK population were aged 65 years or over at mid-2017, compared with 15.9% in 2007; this is projected to grow to 20.7% by 2027.

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Understanding the size and characteristics of the UK population is vital when it comes to planning and delivering services like education, transport and healthcare. Estimates show growth in the size of the population, in the proportion of older people and in the numbers of families and households. This article brings together the main points from a number of current statistical bulletins to give an overview of the changing population of the UK.
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4. The UK population is at its largest ever

In mid-2017, the population of the UK reached a new high of 66 million, marking an increase of 0.6% from the previous year's total of 65.6 million - the lowest annual growth since 2004.

As seen in Figure 1, this was largely a continuation of recent trends; the UK population has grown year-on-year since 1982, with growth rates since 2005 consistent between 0.6% and 0.8%.

In future years, the UK population is set to grow further still. The projected population surpasses 70 million in 2029 and reaches 72.9 million by 2041 - increases of 6.1% and 10.4%, respectively, from 2017.

Figure 1: UK population estimates and projections, 1951 to 2041

Source: Office for National Statistics

Download this chart

For most years on record, all four of the UK's constituent countries (England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales) have contributed to the UK's annual growth. This was true again in the year to mid-2017, where contributions were as follows:

England's population grew by 351,000 to 55.6 million (up 0.6% from mid-2016)

Northern Ireland's population grew by 9,000 to 1.9 million (up 0.5%)

Scotland's population grew by 20,000 to 5.4 million (up 0.4%)

Wales's population grew by 12,000 to 3.1 million (also up 0.4%)

Families and households

In this section, the following definitions are used:

a family is a married, civil partnered or cohabiting couple with or without children, or a lone parent with at least one child, who live at the same address; children may be dependent or non-dependent

a household is one person living alone, or a group of people (not necessarily related) living at the same address who share cooking facilities and share a living room, sitting room or dining area; a household can consist of a single family, more than one family, or no families in the case of a group of unrelated people

In 2017, the number of households in the UK was 27.2 million, representing an increase of 6% from 2007. This 6% growth rate is similar to that of the UK population over the same period and thus the average household size has remained largely unchanged - at 2.4 people - throughout the decade.

Also, 2017 saw 19 million families living in the UK, which shows an increase of 8% from 2007:

12.9 million families (68%) featured a couple who were either married or in a civil partnership

3.3 million families (17%) featured a cohabiting couple (the fastest-growing family type)

2.8 million families (15%) featured a lone parent with at least one dependent or non-dependent child

Meanwhile, young males were more likely to be living with their parents than young females (32% of males aged 20 to 34 years, compared with 20% of females aged 20 to 34 years). In general, young adults in the UK are more likely to be living with their parents now than in any time for which comparable data exists (1996 onwards).

Aside from living as a family, 7.7 million UK residents aged 16 years or over were living alone in 2017, which shows a 4% increase from 2007:

3.9 million were aged 16 to 64 years, with the majority male (58.5%)

3.8 million were aged 65 years and over, with the majority female (66.5%)

One explanation for this disparity is that older women are more likely to be widowed - outliving men on average and tending to be younger than their husbands to begin with.
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5. Why is the UK population growing?

Change in population size has four components: births, deaths, immigration and emigration.

The difference between the number of births and the number of deaths is referred to as "natural change". When natural change is positive, there have been more births than deaths in the considered timeframe. When it is negative, there have been more deaths than births.

The difference between the number of immigrants (people moving to the UK for more than 12 months) and the number of emigrants (people leaving the UK for more than 12 months) is termed "net migration".

Natural change

In 2017, the UK experienced a natural change of 148,000, stemming from 755,000 live births and 607,000 registered deaths (Figure 2) - the highest number of deaths since 2003.

Figure 2: UK births, deaths and natural change, 1951 to 2017

Source: Office for National Statistics

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Note that the long-term trend for deaths is more stable than that of births. Due to the relative consistency in deaths, fluctuations in natural change have historically mirrored fluctuations in births.

For instance, Figure 2's leftmost peak in natural change corresponds to the 1960s baby boom, which subsided in the 1970s. The second upturn in growth is then an "echo" of the first, whereby baby boomers themselves were having children of their own. Births peaked again more recently in 2012, at 813,000.

The gradual decline in deaths from 1985 to 2011 is regarded as a product of the "living longer" dynamic (see Section 6). With people during these years living longer than their predecessors had, numbers of deaths decreased accordingly.

Although the UK's mortality rates fell steadily across many previous decades, the rate of decline slowed significantly in the early 2010s for both males and females. Although a number of other countries have exhibited similar changes in this time, the UK's slowdown is one of the most pronounced.

The UK's statistics for the calendar year ending December 2017 break down as follows:

England's natural change was 148,000 (with 647,000 births and 499,000 deaths)

Northern Ireland's natural change was 7,000 (with 23,000 births and 16,000 deaths)

Scotland's natural change was -5,000 (with 53,000 births and 58,000 deaths)

Wales's natural change was -1,000 (with 32,000 births and 33,000 deaths)

For individual time series on each constituent country, please explore our population health and reference tables (Vital statistics).

For a further breakdown of 2017's deaths by cause of death, please see our interactive chart (for England and Wales) and National Records of Scotland vital statistics reference tables (for Scotland). The data for Northern Ireland will be available later this year, upon release of the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency's 2017 Registrar General annual report (scheduled for early November).

Net migration

For the majority of the 20th century, natural change was the main driver of UK population growth, with net migration a secondary factor. In the 1990s, however, net migration increased in influence and has been the main source of growth since 1998.

In 2017, the UK's net migration was around 282,000, with around 631,000 people immigrating and around 349,000 emigrating (Figure 3).

Figure 3: UK immigration, emigration and net migration, year ending June 2008 to year ending March 2018

Over the last two decades, immigration has increased from both EU and non-EU countries. For EU countries, these increases have generally coincided with expansions of the EU (where citizens of EU member states have freedom of movement between other EU member states, facilitating migration to the UK). These EU expansions, along with the other main migration events and trends, are chronicled in our interactive migration timeline.

Naturally, international migration also affects the nationality and country of birth compositions of the UK. Since 2004 (the year reporting began), the resident number of non-British nationals and non-UK-born individuals has grown year-on-year (Figure 4).

Figure 4: Non-British and non-UK-born populations of the UK by country of birth and nationality, 2007 and 2017

Source: Office for National Statistics, Annual Population Survey

Download this chart

In 2017, about 86% of the UK population were UK-born and about 90% were British nationals - down from about 89% and 93%, respectively, in 2007.

Poland remains the most common non-UK country of birth, having taken over from India in 2015, and Polish has been the most common non-British nationality in the UK since 2007. The largest annual increases were in the Romanian-born population (increasing by 80,000 to 390,000 in 2017) and Romanian nationals (increasing by 83,000 to 411,000 in 2017).
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6. The UK population is ageing

With ongoing advances in technology, healthcare and lifestyles, people in the UK are living longer on average than they might have in years gone by.

In 1997, around one in every six people (15.9%) were aged 65 years and over, increasing to one in every five people (18.2%) in 2017 and is projected to reach around one in every four people (24%) by 2037.

An estimated 18.9% of the population were under 16 years old and 62.9% were aged 16 to 64 years in 2017.

According to projections, the population share of later-life age groups is set to increase further in future years too. By 2041, the 1960s baby boomers will have progressed into their 70s and 80s, and by 2066 there could be an additional 8.6 million people aged 65 years and over in the UK - a population roughly the size of present-day London. This would take the UK's 65 years and over age group to 20.4 million people, accounting for 26.5% of the projected population.

The following interactive, Figure 5, shows how age structure differs by local authority over time.

Figure 5: Broad age group percentage of the UK population by local authority, 1997, 2007, 2017, 2027, 2037

As the UK population lives longer, its old-age dependency ratio (OADR) also increases. This is the number of people of State Pension age (those aged 65 years and older) per every 1,000 of the working-age population (those aged 16 to 64 years old).

In mid-2017, the OADR of the UK was 289, which is up from 244 a decade prior. Without the planned re-balancing of the State Pension age, the UK's OADR would be a projected 419 by 2041.

The increases in OADR coincide with falling fertility rates in the UK, which have declined from 1.87 children per woman in 2007 to 1.79 in 2016. Thus, with less to counterbalance the living longer dynamic, the overall age structure of the UK has tipped further towards the later-life age groups.

Although females continue to live longer on average than males, the gap between sexes has decreased over the last 30 years, with males seeing greater increases in life expectancy. Improvements in life expectancy have recently stalled but the UK population is generally living longer than it has before; a baby born in 2015 to 2017 can expect to live to 79.2 years if male (up 2.0 years since 2005 to 2007) or 82.9 years if female (up 1.4 years since 2005 to 2007). Additionally, a projected 20.8% of all newborn boys and 31.7% of all newborn girls will now live to be centenarians.

The interactive population pyramids in Figure 6 show how the age and sex structures of the UK's local authorities and constituent countries differ over time.

Figure 6: Population pyramids for the UK, by sex and single year of age, explorable by local authority and constituent country, 1997, 2007, 2017, 2027 and 2037

Notes:

1. Figures for 1997, 2007 and 2017 are based on population estimates, whereas figures for 2027 and 2037 are based on population projections.

2. 1997 data for ages 85 to 90 are not available individually for the local authorities of England and Wales, so the combined counts for 85-and-over are shown instead.

Ultimately, a longer-living population presents both opportunities and challenges for many policy areas and aspects of society.

While pressure is expected to mount on many sectors and services - such as social care, healthcare, transport, pensions and housing - our longer working lives, coupled with the growing population, ought to increase the size and productive capacity of the UK's workforce. Although there are outstanding social well-being issues facing many older people - such as isolation and restricted mobility - we will have more years to spend with our families and friends. As a result we are likely to see increased community engagement and involvement in volunteering.
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Overview of the UK population - Office for National Statistics

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An overview of the UK population: how it's changed, why it's changed and how it's projected to change in the future.

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2. (b) UK: The Government's Response to the Ageing Population 

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2. (b) UK: The Government's Response to the Ageing Population 

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Chart 1: the changing shape of the UK population

Age structure of the UK population in 2015, 2020 and 2030, by single year of age to 89 and bands thereafter, ONS 2012-based principal projections, thousands.

A rise in the elderly population, particularly if not matched by health improvements, will place ever-greater pressure on the public finances, as a relatively smaller working-age population supports growing spending on health, social care and pensions.

More spending

Around 55% of welfare spending (£114bn in 2014/15) is currently paid to pensioners, with the state pension by far the largest element of this. This expenditure is forecast to increase by an average of £2.8 billion a year over the next five years, resulting in spending of £128 billion by 2019/20.

Growing numbers of elderly people will also have an impact on the NHS and social care expenditure. The prevalence of long-term health conditions increases with age; and according to a 2010 estimate made by the Department of Health, such conditions account for 70% of total health and social care spending in England.

The Department of Health also estimates that the average cost of providing hospital and community health services for a person aged 85 years or more is around three times greater than for a person aged 65 to 74 years.

Less revenue

Further fiscal pressure is also likely to result from a decline in the working population relative to the number of pensioners (the 'dependency ratio'). A lower proportion of people in work means lower tax revenues and, in all likelihood, higher public expenditure.

Despite the recent increases in state pension age, it is expected that the pensioner population will continue to rise. In 2014 there were 3.2 people of working age for every person of pensionable age. This ratio is projected to fall to 2.7 by 2037.

Chart 2: Working-age people per pensioner

Even after planned increases to the state pension age, the number of working age people per pensioner is expected to fall. Number of working-age people per pensioner, 1980-2012 and projections to 2037.

Challenges for future Governments

The Office for Budget Responsibility points out that without offsetting tax rises or spending cuts, the ageing population will cause a widening of budget deficits over time, eventually putting public sector debt on an unsustainable upward trajectory.

Dealing with the twofold pressures of increased demand and requirements for enhanced services is therefore likely to require both improvements in public sector productivity and increased taxation on the working population. The burden could also be mitigated through a number of other measures:

Reducing welfare payments

Public spending on the elderly could potentially be reduced, without impact on service quality, by a radical change to the means-testing approach to certain benefits and social care services.

If one were to take a view that age, on its own, is not a good indicator of need or ability to pay, it would seem sensible to review whether that should be the sole determinant of access to services and benefits.

However, the 'political economy' of an ageing population could hinder moves in this direction. In particular, older people are more likely to vote; and if they are growing in number, this could make changes that reduce welfare and care entitlements politically difficult.

Improving health

Much of the costs of old age have arisen because growth in total life expectancy has outpaced growth in healthy life expectancy (i.e. the number of years we can expect to live in good health). Policies that improve preventative healthcare, and help people to remain active and healthy in later life, could help increase the proportion of life spent in good health and reduce costs.

There are also large inequalities in healthy life expectancy, which for women ranges from 71 in Wokingham to 56 in Manchester, and for men ranges from 70 in Richmond upon Thames to 53 in Tower Hamlets.

Increasing employment

A healthier old-age population would also allow greater numbers to remain in the labour market for longer, thereby mitigating the impact of an ageing population on the dependency ratio. This in turn could increase tax receipts and limit public expenditure growth.

The dependency ratio could also be reduced by encouraging immigration of working-age individuals, although this is unlikely to be seen as a politically attractive option.

Increased numbers of older people in work need not disadvantage the young. Indeed, previous attempts, both in the UK and abroad, to create jobs for young people by encouraging older people to withdraw from the labour market have failed.

The assumption that there is a "fixed supply" of jobs is not borne out by theory or experience: a larger workforce, with more people in work and earning, is likely to create its own demand.

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Age structure of the UK population in 2015, 2020 and 2030, by single year of age to 89 and bands thereafter, ONS 2012-based principal projections, thousands. A rise in the elderly population, particularly if not matched by health improvements, will place ever-greater pressure on the public finances, as a relatively smaller working-age population supports growing spending on health, social care and pensions.

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This prezi is a little out of date but provides you with information about the basic structure of Kenya's Population.
This should help you describe the structure of the population.

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Case study on why kenya has a youthful population, its effects and the solutions

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1. (b) Kenya: The benefits of having a youthful population... 

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1. (b) Kenya: The benefits of having a youthful population... 

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Kenya is one of the heavyweights of East Africa. Despite recent terrorist attacks and ongoing security problems, it is recording strong economic growth and maintaining its leading position in the region. Natural resource finds and a young population give further cause for optimism, if the right policies are put in place.

Kenya has a rich and distinguished history. Habitation in the area now known as Kenya began in the Lower Paleolithic age, around 3.3m years ago. The territory was populated by the Bantu expansion from West Africa in the first centuries CE. With numerous population influxes from the north and west, including the Cushitic speakers of North Africa around 2000 BCE, the country has a deep and varied linguistic and ethnic history.

In more modern times, trade brought Arabs, Asians and Europeans to Kenyan shores, including Greek merchants from Egypt in the first to fifth centuries CE, Persians, southern Indians and Indonesians from 500 CE, and the Portuguese from the end of the 15th century. Mombasa and the surrounding area became a centre for East African trade and a de facto city state.

In the 19th century, Omani expansion and Victorian missionary activity would change the dynamics of the territory. At the end of the century, the British took over the interior of the country and set up the East Africa Protectorate. With the exception of the coast, this became a crown colony in 1920. The political movement towards independence began in 1944 with the formation of the Kenyan African Union (KAU). In 1953 the Mau Mau rebellion, an armed campaign aimed at pushing white settlers from the country, was launched. This led to a state of emergency that was not lifted until 1960. The country finally gained independence in 1963, with Jomo Kenyatta, a member of the KAU, becoming the country's first president.

Bordering South Sudan, Somalia and Ethiopia to the north, Uganda to the west and Tanzania to the south, Kenya is the economic and political powerhouse of East Africa. The country has a varied landscape, ranging from the white sand beaches abutting more than 500 km of Indian Ocean coastline to the mountainous, and partially volcanic, Central Highlands. The country is home to the second-highest mountain on the continent, Mount Kenya, which stands resplendent at 5199 metres above sea level. The country has a fertile plateau in the west, but the main topographical feature is the Great Rift Valley, which slices through the Central Highlands. This famous swathe of land was created by the interaction of three tectonic plates, the Arabian, Nubian and Somali. Given this high tectonic activity, it is unsurprising that the valley is hemmed by a number of active and dormant volcanoes. It is also home to eight major lakes, including Lake Turkana, which is around 250 km long. In total, Kenya accounts for almost 10% of the lakes found in Africa.

Urbanisation

Kenya's main urban centre is the capital, Nairobi. As of July 2015, the city had a population of 3.9m. The country's second city is the coastal centre of Mombasa, which has just over 1m residents. As this suggests, the country does not have any of the mass urban conurbations that are fuelling the growth of many developing countries. Kenya remains overwhelmingly rural. The urban population made up just over one-quarter of the total population as of July 2015. While the cities and urban areas have been growing at a rate of 4.34% over the last five years, rural communities will remain the dominant settlement pattern for some time to come.

Much of the population is still dependent on a rural lifestyle. Almost 50% of land remains in use for agriculture, and 37.4% of land is permanent pasture for livestock. However, agricultural output remains largely in the hands of smallholders, with 90% of food produced by this informal sector in 2012. As such, the sector still has significant potential for greater productivity.

In 2012 only 1.7% of arable land was under irrigation, but a further 300,000 ha could potentially be irrigated, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (see Agriculture chapter).

The local climate does not always help the country's food production and can lead to wider socio-economic and humanitarian problems. Many areas of Kenya are susceptible to drought and also floods during the rainy season. The climate is tropical on the coast and arid in the interior. By the Indian Ocean, moderate heat, humidity and rainfall are the norm.

Inland temperatures can soar, but altitude moderates any undue heat. In the capital, Nairobi, which lies at an elevation of 1798 metres, temperatures range from 9.4°C to 26.7°C.

Natural Resources

The discovery of oil in Turkana County by Tullow Oil in 2012 adds to Kenya's abundant natural resource base. The Anza and South Lokichar basins are creating a buzz in the energy world. At present, Kenya estimates crude oil reserves of 1bn barrels, while operators Tullow Oil and Africa Oil of Canada are scheduled to begin production in 2020. The government is currently planning an oil pipeline that will facilitate crude exports from 2022 onwards (see Energy chapter).

Oil is not the only recent discovery to buoy the country. In 2013 two new aquifers were discovered in the arid Turkana region of northern Kenya. It is an area that has been hit by devastating droughts, but now 250bn cu metres of water - albeit some of which has proven to be rather brackish - have been found below the parched earth. The country has been suffering from water scarcity and delivery and sanitation problems. UNESCO estimates that 17m Kenyans do not have access to safe water. Given that Kenyans consume approximately 3bn cu metres of water each year, the finds could meet the country's water needs for the next 70 years, according to the government.

Population

Kenya is the seventh-largest country on the African continent, with a population estimated at 45.9m in July 2015. Although the population is not expanding as quickly as some of its regional peers, it is growing steadily. The population growth rate stood at 1.93% in mid-2015, making it the 54th-fastest-growing country in the world. With a high birth rate of 26.4 births per 1000 of population, it is also an extremely young country. Indeed, more than 50% of the population is under the age of 25. This places a heavy burden on the country as Kenya currently has a dependency ratio above 80%. However, as this youth cohort transitions to adulthood, things could begin to change and the fiscal picture could improve. The volume of dependents will shrink and the number of workers will increase.

As long as the country can create employment opportunities, this should ease the burden on the welfare state, push up tax revenues and lead to strong economic growth. With the demographics so heavily skewed towards youth, the problems associated with an ageing population, such as the economic drain of end of life care and pensions, are a long way off. Only 2.85% of the population is currently over the age of 65.

Although health outcomes are likely to improve in the coming years, and life expectancy (which stands at 63.77 years) will grow, it will be some time before Kenya has to deal with the political and economic challenges of old age that currently blight much of Western Europe.

Language & Religion

The country is home to a wide mix of ethnicities, languages and belief systems. There are, however, two official languages, English and Kiswahili. The former is predominant in matters of state and governance. English is also the primary language in the education system and main form of communication among the business community. Outside the main urban areas and the formal sector, a whole host of indigenous languages proliferate. As many as 60 tribal languages can be heard, although not necessarily seen in writing, throughout the country.

Christianity is the predominant religion in the country, accounting for 82.5% of the population, according to the 2009 census. Protestants make up nearly half of Kenya's total population, with Catholics comprising a further 23.3%.

The other major religious group is Muslims, who make up a further 11.1% of the population. Traditionalist beliefs still retain a small constituency, comprising around 1.6% of Kenyans, while there is also a small Hindu community as well as a contingent of those who do not identify with any religion.

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With a youthful population and growing economy, Kenya is set to benefit from recent resources finds

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Kenya is one of the heavyweights of East Africa. Despite recent terrorist attacks and ongoing security problems, it is recording strong economic growth and maintaining its leading position in the region. Natural resource finds and a young population give further cause for optimism, if the right policies are put in place.

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1. (c) Kenya: The Challenges of having a Youthful Population 

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1. (c) Kenya: The Challenges of having a Youthful Population 

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There are a number of challenges the Kenyan government has to deal with in response to having a youthful population. A high crime rate among young people is just one issue.

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Empower the youth as they are the secret weapon in poverty war

Jobseekers in Nairobi. FILE PHOTO | NMG

Give me just one generation of youth, and I'll transform the whole world."-Vladimir Lenin

Whether we agree with his ideological stand or not, what is important is that Lenin was able to harness the raw power of the youth to achieve his ends.

The socialist revolutionary clearly knew how powerful the youth are in active social change. The question now is, how do we want to change our society, and how do we engage and partner with the youth to do so virtuously?

Kenya is a youthful nation, and so too is Africa, boasting a 77 percent youthful population. On the surface, this may seem like a godsent opportunity, with the continent brimming with an abundant workforce and talent. On the other hand, it may turn out to be a kind of "Dutch Disease," of population, with the negative consequences that arise from an abundance and reliance on only one key national resource.

A demographic dividend, not disaster, must be realised. It is prudent to take the impact of population change with the seriousness it deserves, for the economic, social and democratic development of our nations.

The post-2015 agenda document known as the Sustainable Development Goals' (SDGs), to which Kenya is a signatory, gives a clear framework from which to pursue the country's development agenda and provide a roadmap which youth empowerment and partnership are key.

As the driving force for sustainable economic growth the world over, success in implementing the SDGs requires youth engagement and partnership in all sectors of life. The document states that "children, young women, and men are critical agents of change."

Globally, the United Nations cites nine out of ten youth live in developing nations and are disproportionately affected by unemployment, poverty, exclusion, violence, and conflict. It is incumbent upon nations like ours to engage all stakeholders in shifting the tide.

As a nation, we know all too well the grim reality of what a disenfranchised, marginalized and disenchanted youth can do to a society. Holistic engagement with the youth is therefore a national priority to avoid disintegration. It is also imperative to engage and partner with the youth to meet our development goals.

Entrepreneurship and innovation are an integral part of sustained wealth creation for the individual and society at large, whether from the formal or informal sectors. The robust dynamism that Kenya has is within plain sight.

Just last January, Nairobi was ranked sixth among the world's 20 most dynamic cities by the World Economic Forum, the only African city in the top 20. This is a clear testament to the human capital resources we have which can change society for the better. Young women and men are not passive beneficiaries and bystanders, but equal and effective partners at home, on the continent and the world over.

A new era has begun in which organisations come together towards birthing a new cadre of youthful entrepreneurs within the informal sector to ease the country's unemployment crisis.

As it stands, Kenya has over one million young people entering into the labour market annually without any skills, some having either dropped out of school or completed school and not enrolled in any college.

As the private sector, there is an onus as a key stakeholder in Kenya to act on this.

At KCB, we have made a decision to follow through on supporting youth gain essential entrepreneurship skills. Through "2jiajiri," a youth entrepreneurship programme we have graduated over 23,000 young men and women. The beneficiaries will now officially progress for the second phase of the training that includes business incubation through internship and apprenticeship opportunities. "2jiajiri," will benefit at least 400,000 over the next four years, moreover creating 2.5 million direct and indirect jobs.

Effective investment from government, private sector, and non-governmental organizations in integrated development will lead to greater economic growth, peace, and stability, ultimately lowering the dependency ratio in our societies.

Through youth partnerships, a win-win scenario for all stakeholders can be attained. The youth are the key drivers for future democracy, prosperity, and security of our nations. We can actualize it and reap the youth dividend.

The writer is KCB Group chief operating officer.

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By SAMUEL MAKOME

Empower the youth as they are the secret weapon in poverty war

Jobseekers in Nairobi. FILE PHOTO | NMG

Give me just one generation of youth, and I'll transform the whole world."-Vladimir Lenin

Whether we agree with his ideological stand or not, what is important is that Lenin was able to harness the raw power of the youth to achieve his ends.

The socialist revolutionary clearly knew how powerful the youth are in active social change. The question now is, how do we want to change our society, and how do we engage and partner with the youth to do so virtuously?

Kenya is a youthful nation, and so too is Africa, boasting a 77 percent youthful population. On the surface, this may seem like a godsent opportunity, with the continent brimming with an abundant workforce and talent. On the other hand, it may turn out to be a kind of "Dutch Disease," of population, with the negative consequences that arise from an abundance and reliance on only one key national resource.

A demographic dividend, not disaster, must be realised. It is prudent to take the impact of population change with the seriousness it deserves, for the economic, social and democratic development of our nations.

The post-2015 agenda document known as the Sustainable Development Goals' (SDGs), to which Kenya is a signatory, gives a clear framework from which to pursue the country's development agenda and provide a roadmap which youth empowerment and partnership are key.

As the driving force for sustainable economic growth the world over, success in implementing the SDGs requires youth engagement and partnership in all sectors of life. The document states that "children, young women, and men are critical agents of change."

Globally, the United Nations cites nine out of ten youth live in developing nations and are disproportionately affected by unemployment, poverty, exclusion, violence, and conflict. It is incumbent upon nations like ours to engage all stakeholders in shifting the tide.

As a nation, we know all too well the grim reality of what a disenfranchised, marginalized and disenchanted youth can do to a society. Holistic engagement with the youth is therefore a national priority to avoid disintegration. It is also imperative to engage and partner with the youth to meet our development goals.

Entrepreneurship and innovation are an integral part of sustained wealth creation for the individual and society at large, whether from the formal or informal sectors. The robust dynamism that Kenya has is within plain sight.

Just last January, Nairobi was ranked sixth among the world's 20 most dynamic cities by the World Economic Forum, the only African city in the top 20. This is a clear testament to the human capital resources we have which can change society for the better. Young women and men are not passive beneficiaries and bystanders, but equal and effective partners at home, on the continent and the world over.

A new era has begun in which organisations come together towards birthing a new cadre of youthful entrepreneurs within the informal sector to ease the country's unemployment crisis.

As it stands, Kenya has over one million young people entering into the labour market annually without any skills, some having either dropped out of school or completed school and not enrolled in any college.

As the private sector, there is an onus as a key stakeholder in Kenya to act on this.

At KCB, we have made a decision to follow through on supporting youth gain essential entrepreneurship skills. Through "2jiajiri," a youth entrepreneurship programme we have graduated over 23,000 young men and women. The beneficiaries will now officially progress for the second phase of the training that includes business incubation through internship and apprenticeship opportunities. "2jiajiri," will benefit at least 400,000 over the next four years, moreover creating 2.5 million direct and indirect jobs.

Effective investment from government, private sector, and non-governmental organizations in integrated development will lead to greater economic growth, peace, and stability, ultimately lowering the dependency ratio in our societies.

Through youth partnerships, a win-win scenario for all stakeholders can be attained. The youth are the key drivers for future democracy, prosperity, and security of our nations. We can actualize it and reap the youth dividend.

The writer is KCB Group chief operating officer.

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MAKOME: Empower the youth as they are the secret weapon in

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Empower the youth as they are the secret weapon in poverty war Give me just one generation of youth, and I'll transform the whole world."-Vladimir Lenin Whether we agree with his ideological stand or not, what is important is that Lenin was able to harness the raw power of the youth to achieve his ends.