WINDHOEK – A survey by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) has concluded that 64.4 percent of Namibian youth are either unemployed or underemployed.
Of the 64.4 percent, 57.1% are female and 74% live in rural areas.
Khomas Region tops the list of underemployed or unemployed poor youth at 20.3%, followed by Ohangwena Region with 11.1 %, Kavango (10.7%), Zambezi (9.7 %) and Oshikoto (9.6%). The study said unemployed youth are also more likely to be poor if they have low levels of education.
The study further reveals that most of the unemployed or underemployed poor youths are between the ages of 18 and 35, and, as a result, poverty rates are also significantly higher in rural areas, with about 27% of households in rural areas living in poor conditions when compared to the 9.5% of poor households in urban areas. The survey also discloses that about 30.6% of the country’s senior citizens, aged from 60 years and older, are poor while 16% are severely poor.
About 40% of households headed by elders aged 65 and older are classified as poor, with the figure being the highest among those headed by persons aged 60 and older, which is 34.1%.
Additionally, 80.7% of elders aged 60 and older are disproportionately located in rural areas, while 32% are poor and 17.2% are severely poor. There are more elderly females (59.1%) than males.