Young, engaged and valued: Singapore youth take top spot in global index

Republic ranked best on overall youth development compared with 182 nations

- Jonathan Eyal

LONDON Singapore came in first in a global survey of youth development which measures the status of young people and their competence, capabilities and economic opportunities for full participation as active citizens in their countries.

The Republic ranked best on overall youth development not only among the Commonwealth's 56 member nations but also in comparison with 182 nations worldwide. The Global Youth Development Index Report was compiled and just released by the Commonwealth, an international association of sovereign states, the vast majority of which are former territories of the British Empire.

On a global level, the survey found that Singapore enjoyed the highest level of youth development in 2023, followed by Denmark, Portugal, Iceland and Slovenia.

Singapore is also the only Asian country in the top 10 rankings; all the others are European nations.

Among Asian member-states of the Commonwealth, Singapore was followed by Brunei and Malaysia, which came in second and third, respectively.

"The report examines the extent to which young people are learning, earning and living healthy, engaged and peaceful lives. It also shows whether they are living in societies that value their views, include their perspectives, and recognise their contributions," said Baroness Patricia Scotland, a prominent British lawyer who currently serves as the Commonwealth's secretary-general.

Singapore's achievement is made even more substantial because the Commonwealth survey is based on statistical data sets going back to 2010, and Singapore has maintained its top position since the publication of a previous comparable study in 2020.

In 2023, the world's population stood at just over eight billion people, of whom roughly a quarter were 15- to 29-year-olds.