Definition of Youth
Micronesia’s 2004-2010 National Youth Policy defines youth as persons between the ages of 15 and 34 years.
Marriageable Age
- Opposite Sex
- Same Sex
- Without parental consent
- with parental consent
- Male
- 18
- --
- --
- Female
- 16
- 0
- --
If the female is less than 16 years old, she must obtain parental permission to marry. There is no mandated minimum age for marriage. No specific legislation for same-sex marriage. Source: CRC/C/28/Add.5, ILGA
Candidacy Age
- Lower House
- 30 Source: Inter-Parliamentary Union
- Upper House
- --
Source: Inter-Parliamentary Union
Unicameral.
Criminal Responsibility
(1997)
Situation of Young People
Literacy Rates
- -- Male (15-24) %
- -- Female (15-24) %
- Year: No data.
- Source: UNESCO
Net Enrolment Rate
Secondary School- --Male %
- -- Female %
- Year: No data.
- Source: UNESCO
Situation of Young People
Tobacco Use
Consumed any smokeless or smoking tobacco product at least once 30 days prior to the survey.- 51.90% Male (13-15) %
- 39.80% Female (13-15) %
- Year: 2010
- Source: WHO
Policy & Legislation
Micronesia has a national youth policy that was valid from 2004-2010. It has nine policy objectives and strategies in the following areas: Education; Health; Economic Development; Cultural Identity; Spirituality; Environment; Justice; National Pride, and; Institutional Strengthening, Capacity Building and Coordination. It is unclear how much progress has been made to formulate a new policy. The Micronesia chapter in the report Urban Youth in the Pacific, written in 2011, states: “The policy expired at the end of 2010 [...] However, it is understood that work is underway to review progress and update the Policy”. A March 2012 report on global AIDS response also mentions the youth policy in a footnote: “With the policy’s expiry, a new policy is in development as this report was being written”.
Public Institutions
(ministry, department or office) that is primarily responsible for youth?
Youth and Representation
Budget & Spending
- % of GDP
- % of gov. expenditure
Source: World Bank
Gaps indicate missing data from the original data source. (Accessed August 2013).
Additional Background
The FSM has one of the youngest populations in the Pacific region, with a median age of 18.9 years. A young population places extreme pressures on national and state budgets [...]
In 1994 there were about 34,740 youth (15–34 years) in the FSM, comprising 32.9% of the total population. According to the FSM 2000 National Census of Population and Housing, the youth population had increased to about 36,854 in 2000, representing 34.4% of the total population. The youth population for 2004 stands at about 38,603 which is nearly 35.4% of the total population of the FSM. The projection for the year 2010 puts the youth population at just over 41,200 – that is, about 4,300 additional persons over a period of nine years, or about 477 persons per year [...]
Between 1989 and 2004, the youth growth rate was not extreme, but it was growing positively. Between 1989 and 1994 the overall annual rate was 2.67%, declining to about 1.1% in the last period observed. In other words, the youth population was still growing, but not at the rate it had been in the previous period.
From Urban Youth in the Pacific (2011): Citizen political engagement:[A]lthough legislatures are the foremost forums for discussing and addressing political issues, including youth issues, to date there has been limited engagement between legislators and young people. Culturally, older men and women have stronger political influence within modern and traditional leadership. In this context, it is notable that although women have long played a central role in traditional Micronesian society, men still dominate politics and decision-making over resources in current times. For younger women, the lack of political voice of women is limited by their sex and age. Even young men have limited opportunities to engage in political life [...]
Youth policy coordination:Within HSA the National Youth Office aims to coordinate and implement youth programmes and organizes National Youth Summits. However, the position of National Youth Officer has been vacant, which has limited progress in implementing these activities. As an immediate priority, it is imperative that the National Youth Office is provided with qualified perso