– Against a backdrop of unprecedented youth unemployment, more than half of young Arabs in the Levant and North Africa want to migrate for better opportunities: ASDA’A BCW’s 15th annual survey of Arab youth
DUBAI, UAE, Aug. 9, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — More than half of young Arabs in the Levantine and North African countries say they are actively trying to leave their country or are considering doing so in search of better opportunities. The desire to emigrate is strongest among young people of both sexes in the Levant (53%), followed by those in North Africa (48%), with the main objective of finding a job.
On the other hand, just over a quarter (27%) of young people from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries state that they have thought about emigrating, and the majority affirm that they would “never leave their country”.
The majority of young Arabs have indicated that they would like to immigrate to Canada (34%), followed closely by the United States (30%), Germany and the United Kingdom (20%), and France (17%).
Here are some of the key takeaways from the “My Aspirations” theme of ASDA’A BCW’s 15th annual survey of Arab youth, the most comprehensive study of its kind on the Arab world’s largest demographic, its more than 200 million of young people, carried out by ASDA’A BCW, the main communication consultancy in the Middle East and North Africa.
The desire to emigrate is matched by the bleak economic outlook for many Arab nations. Nearly three-quarters (72%) of young Arabs in the Levant and nearly two-thirds (62%) of the North African countries surveyed say their national economy is headed in the “wrong direction.”
In the GCC, however, young people remain very optimistic: almost nine in ten (88%) say their country’s economy is headed in the “right direction.”
With a youth unemployment rate in the Middle East above 25% – the highest and fastest growing in the world, according to the International Labor Organization – finding a job is understandably a priority for young Arabs. Nearly half (49%) of those who said they were actively considering emigration did so to “look for work.”
Despite their fears about their national economy, more than two-thirds (69%) of Arab youth believe their best days await them, an increase of 5% over 2022. GCC youth are the most hopeful (85%), followed by North Africa (64%) and the Levant (60%).
Sunil John, Chairman, MENA, BCW and Founder of ASDA’A BCW, stated: “The growing number of young Arabs seeking greener pastures abroad reveals two of its important characteristics: On the one hand, their disappointment at the lack of opportunities in their own country for a good education and a successful professional career, and on the other, their eagerness to forge their own destiny.
“Youth emigration is a huge drain on the economy of the Arab world, which must be stopped if the region is to benefit from the youth dividend. The region is one of the youngest in the world, with more than 60% of its population, over 200 million, under the age of 30,” added John.
“Despite the dismal economies of North Africa and the Levant, it is the youthful exuberance to be optimistic about the future that shines through. This is evidenced by the fact that most young Arabs are defiantly hopeful about their chances for a better life. These results underscore that Arab countries need to focus on creating the enabling environment for youth to thrive – the responsibility for this lies with both government and the private sector.”
ASDA’A BCW commissioned SixthFactor Consulting, a leading research company, to conduct face-to-face interviews with 3,600 Arab citizens aged 18-24 in their home countries from March 27 to April 12, 2023.
The initial results of the 2023 edition of the ASDA’A BCW Arab Youth Survey, under the topics My Aspirations, My Global Citizenship, My Politics, My Livelihoods and My Identity, are available with expert commentary at arabyouthsurvey.com. The general theme of this year’s study is “Living a new reality”.
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