Youth in Mongolia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Youth in Mongolia constituted 18.7% of the population in 2014, numbering roughly 552,000 individuals.[1] The 15–19 age group is the largest in Mongolia; in 2009 about 40% of the population was under 19 years old.[2] Estimated population growth rates as of 2014 were reported as increasing by 1.37%.[3] The steady increase in youth will enlarge the already large proportion of working-aged individuals and create new opportunities to build human capital and facilitate economic development.[4]
In order to address Mongolia's economic future, Mongolia's Parliament adopted the State Population Development Policy in 2004 to confront development issues facing Mongolian youth. This policy and the Mongolia National Programme on Adolescents and Youth Development defined youth as those from ages 15 to 34 years and aims to provide opportunities and services that build youth into well developed citizens.[4][5] Mongolia is in the process of transitioning from its status as a developing country to a nation with a developing economy.[6][7] According to the Human Development Index, conditions in Mongolia have been improving in recent years, but its ranking on the Human Poverty Index has dropped further due to the privatization of the economic sector.[3][4]
Mongolia's political structure has changed frequently since its founding in 1206. In the most recent transition to democracy in 1992, Mongolia incorporated policies directed towards youth.[2][8] Mongolia became one of the first countries to ratify the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1990 and signed the second and third optional protocols in 2000 and 2013 respectively.[9] Many of Mongolia’s laws and policies attempt to protect and better the lives of Mongolian youth. The legal age of majority occurs at 18, wherein Mongolian young adults are able to vote and assume legal authority.[10] The transition from a Soviet satellite state to a sovereign nation in 1992 fueled major structural changes in Mongolian youth lives. Access to education, employment, and health care has increased.[4][7][9]