Research Series Issue 58: Investing in rural youth in the Asia and the Pacific region

This study characterizes the structural and rural transformation of the Asia and the Pacific region, highlighting the implications for rural youth opportunities and challenges and identifying and elaborating on the characteristics, opportunities and challenges related to rural youth inclusion.

Rural youth in countries with low structural transformation and low rural transformation continue to rely on agriculture for employment; in countries with high levels of transformation, a majority of rural youth are now employed outside agriculture.

The full potential for structural transformation in the region may fail to be realized due to barriers facing rural youth in terms of migration, achieving full human development, gaining access to land, farm technology, financial services and other enterprise support.