The median age in the Middle East and North Africa is 22 and youth make up 28% of the population. The 2023 Arab Youth Survey found that the majority of young people aged 18-24 in North Africa and the Levant hope to leave their country to pursue better opportunities abroad. The stark divide is down to economic downturn and political instability in the Levant (Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestinian Territories, Syria and Yemen) and North Africa (Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Sudan, South Sudan and Tunisia). UK numbers have remained steady, with 8,025 higher education students from North Africa and the Levant in 2021/22, compared to 7,080 in 2019/20, according to data from HESA. Despite the challenge, many young Arabs see emigration as the only way they can build a better life.

Source: The North Africa Journal August 21, 2023 11:56 UTC