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Almost half of Arab youth want to leave their home countries: survey
The survey found that out of the 4,000 young people interviewed from 17 countries in the region, 42 percent have considered emigrating and 15 percent are taking action to leave.
2 min read
Almost half have considered emigrating and 15% are taking action to leave. [Getty]
More than 40 percent of young people in the Arab world are considering leaving their home countries for good, the Arab Youth Survey 2020 has found.
The survey, which was published on Tuesday, found that out of 4,000 young people - aged between 18 and 24 - interviewed from 17 Arab countries, 42 percent were considerin emigrating and 15 percent were taking action to leave.
Gulf states had the lowest numbers, while 63 percent of young people interviewed in the Levant region said they had thought about moving abroad.
Lebanon peaked the list with only 33 percent saying they had never considered moving abroad.
The survey cited poor leadership, rampant corruption, and economic failure as factors in their desire to start new lives elsewhere.
A staggering 77 percent of those interviewed said they felt their countries had suffered the effects of corruption.
Sunil John, the President of ASDA'A BCW - which has ran the survey for the 12th year - said the findings are defined by the fact that the Arab world suffers from the highest rates of youth unemployment in the world.
He also said that the findings of the survey should be a "wake up call" for governments in the region.
Another reason young people gave for wanting to leave their home was the worsening economic situation caused by Covid-19, which led to more than seven-out-of-ten feeling it had made it more difficult to find employment.
More than one-third of those interviewed also admitted to being in personal debt, an increase of 14 percent since 2019.
The survey, which was published on Tuesday, found that out of 4,000 young people - aged between 18 and 24 - interviewed from 17 Arab countries, 42 percent were considerin emigrating and 15 percent were taking action to leave.
Gulf states had the lowest numbers, while 63 percent of young people interviewed in the Levant region said they had thought about moving abroad.
Lebanon peaked the list with only 33 percent saying they had never considered moving abroad.
The survey cited poor leadership, rampant corruption, and economic failure as factors in their desire to start new lives elsewhere.
A staggering 77 percent of those interviewed said they felt their countries had suffered the effects of corruption.
Sunil John, the President of ASDA'A BCW - which has ran the survey for the 12th year - said the findings are defined by the fact that the Arab world suffers from the highest rates of youth unemployment in the world.
He also said that the findings of the survey should be a "wake up call" for governments in the region.
Another reason young people gave for wanting to leave their home was the worsening economic situation caused by Covid-19, which led to more than seven-out-of-ten feeling it had made it more difficult to find employment.
More than one-third of those interviewed also admitted to being in personal debt, an increase of 14 percent since 2019.
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