- Management of the economy tops the list of the most important problems that Ethiopian youth want their government to address, followed by water supply, infrastructure/roads, electricity, and unemployment (Figure 1).
- Almost four in 10 young Ethiopians (38%) have secondary or post-secondary education, significantly surpassing older generations (Figure 2).
- But youth (aged 18-35) are also more likely than their elders to be unemployed: 21% say they are not employed and are looking for jobs, compared to 8%-15% among older cohorts (Figure 3).
- A majority (53%) of youth say the country is going in “the wrong direction,” while almost two-thirds (64%) describe the nation’s economic condition as bad and fewer than half (45%) expect things to improve over the coming year. But these assessments are somewhat more optimistic than those offered by older generations (Figure 4).
Handling of the economy is the biggest concern for young Ethiopians, according to the latest Afrobarometer survey in the country.
Access to clean water, better roads and infrastructure, reliable electricity, and finding jobs are also other important problems the youth in Ethiopia want the government to focus on. Despite having higher educational levels, Ethiopian youth are facing higher unemployment rates.
In contrast with older generations, majority of youth say the country is going in “the wrong direction,” while almost two-thirds describe Ethiopia’s economic condition as bad and fewer than half expect things to improve over the coming year. However, even with the youth’s dissatisfaction with the country’s direction and the government’s performance, they are less likely than their elders to engage in political and civic activities such as voting, attending community meetings, and joining others to raise an issue.