Global Youth Participation Index - the future of Democracy is in young hands

The Global Youth Participation Index (GYPI) is the first global tool that tracks and compares youth participation in over 141 countries, measuring indicators like civic engagement, youth representation in parliaments, electoral inclusion, and more.

Explore the GYPI, dive into data and see how youth are reshaping politics worldwide.

The Global Youth Participation Index reveals that youth participation remains highly uneven across the world. No country fully realises the rights of young people in political, civic, and socio-economic life. The global average score across all countries assessed is 61 out of 100, with Norway ranking highest at 84 and Afghanistan lowest at 14.

Youth participation globally is uneven and challenged.

The strongest performers are predominantly democratic countries located in Europe, Australasia, and North America, where institutional frameworks and inclusive policies support meaningful youth engagement. In contrast, the lowest scores are observed in regions such as Sub-Saharan Africa and Eurasia, where authoritarian governance often restricts civic freedoms and represses youth-led initiatives.

Nordic countries dominate the top ten rankings, reflecting inclusive governance, strong social protection systems, and a commitment to equity, particularly for marginalised groups such as LGBTQI+ youth. Iceland, for example, stands out for its strong public policies supporting the rights and wellbeing of LGBTQI+ youth, while Timor-Leste demonstrates the potential of youth leadership through its dynamic civil society and sustained investment in youth training programmes.

On the other end of the scale, countries like Myanmar, Tajikistan, and Nicaragua exemplify contexts where authoritarian regimes severely limit freedom of expression, civil liberties, and opportunities for youth to participate in public life. Yet, even in these environments, young people continue to mobilise for their rights. In Venezuela, for instance, despite significant threats and political repression, youth movements have remained vocal and engaged, calling for democratic reforms and social justice.As María Virginia Paglia, a member of the GYPI Youth Panel, puts it: 

“Youth are active agents of change, not apathetic.”

The overarching conclusion is clear: while barriers persist, youth activism is vibrant and growing. Efforts to improve youth participation must focus on removing systemic barriers rather than blaming young people for their exclusion.

The GYPI Dimensions
 

The GYPI measures youth participation across four interconnected dimensions: Socio-Economic, Civic Space, Political Affairs and Elections. Among these, the Socio-Economic dimension received the highest average score (77 out of 100), reflecting wider global access to education and economic opportunities, though not without significant gaps. Civic Space scored an average of 62, while Elections and Political Affairs scored 54 and 51 respectively, highlighting the persistent challenges young people face in formal political systems.

The Political Affairs dimension assesses the inclusion of youth in political decision-making structures, such as parliaments, political parties, and youth-specific policy frameworks. It is the weakest-performing dimension in the Index. On average, youth representation in national legislatures remains extremely low, with an average score of just 12. Norway stands out with a score of 65, while many countries score near zero. Even among high-ranking countries overall, such as Luxembourg and Belgium, young people remain underrepresented in formal politics.

Structural barriers contribute significantly to this exclusion. These include high minimum age requirements for political office, prohibitive financial costs associated with running for election, and cultural attitudes that suggest young people should “wait their turn” to lead. However, recent developments also demonstrate that change is possible. In Nigeria, for example, the youth-led #NotTooYoungToRun campaign successfully lowered the minimum age to run for elected office from 30 to 25, setting a powerful example for legal reform driven by youth mobilisation.

The Elections dimension, which assesses the accessibility and fairness of electoral systems for young voters and candidates, performs slightly better than Political Affairs. Countries such as Ecuador and Timor-Leste demonstrate that youth-friendly electoral systems are not confined to one region or political system. Nonetheless, the findings reveal that voting remains a limited form of participation for many young people, particularly when it is not accompanied by mechanisms for influence before and after election day.

In sum, the GYPI shows that while youth are mobilising across all regions of the world, their access to formal political power remains constrained. Addressing this disconnect requires targeted policies, inclusive institutional reforms, and greater investment in youth-led structures at every level of governance.

Explore the GYPI here