KATHMANDU, August 28: Nepal has revised the official age range defining youth, narrowing it from the previous 16–40 years to 18–35 years.
The newly endorsed National Youth Policy includes this change. “The population between the ages of 18 and 35 will be considered youth, in line with the national and international context,” the policy states.
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With the new definition, the youth population in the country is expected to drop from 42.56 percent to around 30 percent.
Different countries define youth differently. In neighboring India and Sri Lanka, the youth age range is 15 to 29, while in most African nations, it is 15 to 35. The United Nations defines youth as those aged 15 to 24.
However, some youth activists and population experts have criticized the move, calling it a “hasty decision to downplay youth’s voice.”
President of Nepal Youth Council, Saroj Baniya, said narrowing the age range does not address the concerns of those left out by the new definition. “The government is simply trying to subdue the voice of youth and control the widespread demand for youth participation at all levels of government,” Baniya said.
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