Assessing the Economic Returns to Investing in Youth in Developing Countries

This paper explores the economic case for investments in youth in developing countries. The current cohort of youth is the largest cohort ever. The economic, social, and demographic context of their lives has undergone enormous change, thus requiri...

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Main Authors:	Knowles, James C., Behrman, Jere R.
Format:	Working Paper
Language:	English en_US
Published:	World Bank, Washington, DC 2013
Subjects:	ADOLESCENT ADOLESCENT HEALTH ADOLESCENT REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH ADOLESCENTS ALCOHOL ALCOHOL ABUSE ALTERNATIVE INVESTMENTS BENEFIT ANALYSIS CANCER CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES CAUSAL RELATIONSHIPS CHILD HEALTH CHILD LABOR COMMUNICABLE DISEASES COST EFFECTIVENESS COST-BENEFIT ANALYSES COUNTRY CONTEXT CRIME DATA SETS DEMOGRAPHIC TRANSITION DEVELOPING COUNTRIES DEVELOPMENT NETWORK DRUG USE ECONOMETRIC ESTIMATES ECONOMIC ANALYSIS ECONOMIC GROWTH EDUCATION EDUCATION PROGRAMS EXPLOITATION FAMILIES FOOD CONSUMPTION GNP GROSS NATIONAL PRODUCT GROWTH HEALTH HEALTH CARE HEALTH INVESTMENTS HEALTH RISKS HEALTHY DEVELOPMENT HIV INFECTION HUMAN CAPITAL HUMAN DEVELOPMENT HUMAN IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS IMMUNE DEFICIENCY SYNDROME IMMUNODEFICIENCY IMPROVED HEALTH INCOME INCOME COUNTRIES INFANTS INFECTIONS INFECTIOUS DISEASES INTERVENTION LABOR MARKETS LABOR PRODUCTIVITY MALARIA MALNUTRITION MARGINAL COST MENTAL HEALTH MICRONUTRIENTS MORTALITY NATIONAL RESEARCH NUTRITION OVERWEIGHT PHYSICAL ACTIVITY POLICY CHOICES POLICY FRAMEWORK POLICY OPTIONS POPULATION DYNAMICS POPULATION STUDIES POVERTY ALLEVIATION POVERTY REDUCTION PREGNANCY PRIVATE COSTS PRIVATE SECTOR PRODUCTIVITY PUBLIC RESOURCES QUALITY OF LIFE REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH RESOURCE CONSERVATION SAVINGS SEX SEXUAL ABUSE SOCIAL CAPITAL SOCIAL COSTS SOCIAL EXCLUSION SUBSTANCE USE TEEN PREGNANCIES TEENAGE PREGNANCIES TOBACCO TOBACCO USE TRADE LIBERALIZATION TRADEOFFS UNEMPLOYMENT VIOLENCE YOUNG ADULTS YOUNG PEOPLE YOUTH YOUTH DEVELOPMENT YOUTH HEALTH YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT YOUTH-FOCUSED INTERVENTIONS ABSOLUTE POVERTY
Online Access:	http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2003/03/3548766/assessing-economic-returns-investing-youth-developing-countries http://hdl.handle.net/10986/13763

id	okr-10986-13763
recordtype	oai_dc
spelling	okr-10986-137632021-04-23T14:03:09Z Assessing the Economic Returns to Investing in Youth in Developing Countries Knowles, James C. Behrman, Jere R. ADOLESCENT ADOLESCENT HEALTH ADOLESCENT REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH ADOLESCENTS ALCOHOL ALCOHOL ABUSE ALTERNATIVE INVESTMENTS BENEFIT ANALYSIS CANCER CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES CAUSAL RELATIONSHIPS CHILD HEALTH CHILD LABOR COMMUNICABLE DISEASES COST EFFECTIVENESS COST-BENEFIT ANALYSES COUNTRY CONTEXT CRIME DATA SETS DEMOGRAPHIC TRANSITION DEVELOPING COUNTRIES DEVELOPMENT NETWORK DRUG USE ECONOMETRIC ESTIMATES ECONOMIC ANALYSIS ECONOMIC GROWTH EDUCATION EDUCATION PROGRAMS EXPLOITATION FAMILIES FOOD CONSUMPTION GNP GROSS NATIONAL PRODUCT GROWTH HEALTH HEALTH HEALTH CARE HEALTH INVESTMENTS HEALTH RISKS HEALTHY DEVELOPMENT HIV INFECTION HUMAN CAPITAL HUMAN DEVELOPMENT HUMAN IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS IMMUNE DEFICIENCY SYNDROME IMMUNODEFICIENCY IMPROVED HEALTH INCOME INCOME COUNTRIES INFANTS INFECTIONS INFECTIOUS DISEASES INTERVENTION LABOR MARKETS LABOR PRODUCTIVITY MALARIA MALNUTRITION MARGINAL COST MENTAL HEALTH MICRONUTRIENTS MORTALITY NATIONAL RESEARCH NUTRITION OVERWEIGHT PHYSICAL ACTIVITY POLICY CHOICES POLICY FRAMEWORK POLICY OPTIONS POPULATION DYNAMICS POPULATION STUDIES POVERTY ALLEVIATION POVERTY REDUCTION PREGNANCY PRIVATE COSTS PRIVATE SECTOR PRODUCTIVITY PRODUCTIVITY PUBLIC RESOURCES QUALITY OF LIFE REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH RESOURCE CONSERVATION SAVINGS SEX SEXUAL ABUSE SOCIAL CAPITAL SOCIAL COSTS SOCIAL EXCLUSION SUBSTANCE USE TEEN PREGNANCIES TEENAGE PREGNANCIES TOBACCO TOBACCO USE TRADE LIBERALIZATION TRADEOFFS UNEMPLOYMENT VIOLENCE YOUNG ADULTS YOUNG PEOPLE YOUTH YOUTH DEVELOPMENT YOUTH HEALTH YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT YOUTH-FOCUSED INTERVENTIONS ABSOLUTE POVERTY This paper explores the economic case for investments in youth in developing countries. The current cohort of youth is the largest cohort ever. The economic, social, and demographic context of their lives has undergone enormous change, thus requiring a rethinking and re-evaluation of the range of investments in youth. This reappraisal must incorporate a number of critical features including recognition of the wide range of youth investments, the considerable lag in effects, and the likelihood that youth investments in one area affect investments and behavior in other areas. The paper examines forty-one investments in the following broad categories: formal schooling; civilian and military training, work; reproductive health; school-based health; other health; and community and other. The paper develops a life-cycle approach using cost-benefit analysis to calculate the economic returns to investments in youth. However, the information necessary to apply the methodology is sufficient for only a few investments in a few countries. Moreover, even for these cases, the estimated economic returns vary widely depending on the assumptions used. Despite these limitations, the available evidence suggests that some types of investments in youth, e.g., investments in formal schooling, adult basic education and literacy, some types of school-based health investments (e.g., micronutrient supplements and, under certain circumstances, reproductive health programs), and measures designed to reduce the consumption of tobacco (e.g., increases in the tobacco tax), yield economic returns that are at least as high as are those for many investments in other sectors. The lack of reliable information on the effects of many investments in youth is the most important information gap and the area meriting the highest priority for future research. 2013-06-05T14:33:31Z 2013-06-05T14:33:31Z 2003-03 http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2003/03/3548766/assessing-economic-returns-investing-youth-developing-countries 1-932126-78-3 http://hdl.handle.net/10986/13763 English en_US HNP discussion paper series; CC BY 3.0 IGO http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/igo/ World Bank World Bank, Washington, DC Publications & Research :: Working Paper Publications & Research
repository_type	Digital Repository
institution_category	Foreign Institution
institution	Digital Repositories
building	World Bank Open Knowledge Repository
collection	World Bank
language	English en_US
topic	ADOLESCENT ADOLESCENT HEALTH ADOLESCENT REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH ADOLESCENTS ALCOHOL ALCOHOL ABUSE ALTERNATIVE INVESTMENTS BENEFIT ANALYSIS CANCER CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES CAUSAL RELATIONSHIPS CHILD HEALTH CHILD LABOR COMMUNICABLE DISEASES COST EFFECTIVENESS COST-BENEFIT ANALYSES COUNTRY CONTEXT CRIME DATA SETS DEMOGRAPHIC TRANSITION DEVELOPING COUNTRIES DEVELOPMENT NETWORK DRUG USE ECONOMETRIC ESTIMATES ECONOMIC ANALYSIS ECONOMIC GROWTH EDUCATION EDUCATION PROGRAMS EXPLOITATION FAMILIES FOOD CONSUMPTION GNP GROSS NATIONAL PRODUCT GROWTH HEALTH HEALTH HEALTH CARE HEALTH INVESTMENTS HEALTH RISKS HEALTHY DEVELOPMENT HIV INFECTION HUMAN CAPITAL HUMAN DEVELOPMENT HUMAN IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS IMMUNE DEFICIENCY SYNDROME IMMUNODEFICIENCY IMPROVED HEALTH INCOME INCOME COUNTRIES INFANTS INFECTIONS INFECTIOUS DISEASES INTERVENTION LABOR MARKETS LABOR PRODUCTIVITY MALARIA MALNUTRITION MARGINAL COST MENTAL HEALTH MICRONUTRIENTS MORTALITY NATIONAL RESEARCH NUTRITION OVERWEIGHT PHYSICAL ACTIVITY POLICY CHOICES POLICY FRAMEWORK POLICY OPTIONS POPULATION DYNAMICS POPULATION STUDIES POVERTY ALLEVIATION POVERTY REDUCTION PREGNANCY PRIVATE COSTS PRIVATE SECTOR PRODUCTIVITY PRODUCTIVITY PUBLIC RESOURCES QUALITY OF LIFE REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH RESOURCE CONSERVATION SAVINGS SEX SEXUAL ABUSE SOCIAL CAPITAL SOCIAL COSTS SOCIAL EXCLUSION SUBSTANCE USE TEEN PREGNANCIES TEENAGE PREGNANCIES TOBACCO TOBACCO USE TRADE LIBERALIZATION TRADEOFFS UNEMPLOYMENT VIOLENCE YOUNG ADULTS YOUNG PEOPLE YOUTH YOUTH DEVELOPMENT YOUTH HEALTH YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT YOUTH-FOCUSED INTERVENTIONS ABSOLUTE POVERTY
spellingShingle	ADOLESCENT ADOLESCENT HEALTH ADOLESCENT REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH ADOLESCENTS ALCOHOL ALCOHOL ABUSE ALTERNATIVE INVESTMENTS BENEFIT ANALYSIS CANCER CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES CAUSAL RELATIONSHIPS CHILD HEALTH CHILD LABOR COMMUNICABLE DISEASES COST EFFECTIVENESS COST-BENEFIT ANALYSES COUNTRY CONTEXT CRIME DATA SETS DEMOGRAPHIC TRANSITION DEVELOPING COUNTRIES DEVELOPMENT NETWORK DRUG USE ECONOMETRIC ESTIMATES ECONOMIC ANALYSIS ECONOMIC GROWTH EDUCATION EDUCATION PROGRAMS EXPLOITATION FAMILIES FOOD CONSUMPTION GNP GROSS NATIONAL PRODUCT GROWTH HEALTH HEALTH HEALTH CARE HEALTH INVESTMENTS HEALTH RISKS HEALTHY DEVELOPMENT HIV INFECTION HUMAN CAPITAL HUMAN DEVELOPMENT HUMAN IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS IMMUNE DEFICIENCY SYNDROME IMMUNODEFICIENCY IMPROVED HEALTH INCOME INCOME COUNTRIES INFANTS INFECTIONS INFECTIOUS DISEASES INTERVENTION LABOR MARKETS LABOR PRODUCTIVITY MALARIA MALNUTRITION MARGINAL COST MENTAL HEALTH MICRONUTRIENTS MORTALITY NATIONAL RESEARCH NUTRITION OVERWEIGHT PHYSICAL ACTIVITY POLICY CHOICES POLICY FRAMEWORK POLICY OPTIONS POPULATION DYNAMICS POPULATION STUDIES POVERTY ALLEVIATION POVERTY REDUCTION PREGNANCY PRIVATE COSTS PRIVATE SECTOR PRODUCTIVITY PRODUCTIVITY PUBLIC RESOURCES QUALITY OF LIFE REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH RESOURCE CONSERVATION SAVINGS SEX SEXUAL ABUSE SOCIAL CAPITAL SOCIAL COSTS SOCIAL EXCLUSION SUBSTANCE USE TEEN PREGNANCIES TEENAGE PREGNANCIES TOBACCO TOBACCO USE TRADE LIBERALIZATION TRADEOFFS UNEMPLOYMENT VIOLENCE YOUNG ADULTS YOUNG PEOPLE YOUTH YOUTH DEVELOPMENT YOUTH HEALTH YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT YOUTH-FOCUSED INTERVENTIONS ABSOLUTE POVERTY Knowles, James C. Behrman, Jere R. Assessing the Economic Returns to Investing in Youth in Developing Countries
relation	HNP discussion paper series;
description	This paper explores the economic case for investments in youth in developing countries. The current cohort of youth is the largest cohort ever. The economic, social, and demographic context of their lives has undergone enormous change, thus requiring a rethinking and re-evaluation of the range of investments in youth. This reappraisal must incorporate a number of critical features including recognition of the wide range of youth investments, the considerable lag in effects, and the likelihood that youth investments in one area affect investments and behavior in other areas. The paper examines forty-one investments in the following broad categories: formal schooling; civilian and military training, work; reproductive health; school-based health; other health; and community and other. The paper develops a life-cycle approach using cost-benefit analysis to calculate the economic returns to investments in youth. However, the information necessary to apply the methodology is sufficient for only a few investments in a few countries. Moreover, even for these cases, the estimated economic returns vary widely depending on the assumptions used. Despite these limitations, the available evidence suggests that some types of investments in youth, e.g., investments in formal schooling, adult basic education and literacy, some types of school-based health investments (e.g., micronutrient supplements and, under certain circumstances, reproductive health programs), and measures designed to reduce the consumption of tobacco (e.g., increases in the tobacco tax), yield economic returns that are at least as high as are those for many investments in other sectors. The lack of reliable information on the effects of many investments in youth is the most important information gap and the area meriting the highest priority for future research.
format	Publications & Research :: Working Paper
author	Knowles, James C. Behrman, Jere R.
author_facet	Knowles, James C. Behrman, Jere R.
author_sort	Knowles, James C.
title	Assessing the Economic Returns to Investing in Youth in Developing Countries
title_short	Assessing the Economic Returns to Investing in Youth in Developing Countries
title_full	Assessing the Economic Returns to Investing in Youth in Developing Countries
title_fullStr	Assessing the Economic Returns to Investing in Youth in Developing Countries
title_full_unstemmed	Assessing the Economic Returns to Investing in Youth in Developing Countries
title_sort	assessing the economic returns to investing in youth in developing countries
publisher	World Bank, Washington, DC
publishDate	2013
url	http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2003/03/3548766/assessing-economic-returns-investing-youth-developing-countries http://hdl.handle.net/10986/13763
_version_	1764424387146022912

Assessing the Economic Returns to Investing in Youth in Developing Countries

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