Definition of Youth

Micronesia’s 2004-2010 National Youth Policy defines youth as persons between the ages of 15 and 34 years.

FSM

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

Criminal Responsibility

0
Minimum Age
There is no clear minimum age of criminal responsibility. For offenders under 18 years, courts shall adopt a flexible procedure based on the accepted practice of juvenile courts of the United States. Source:  Code of the Federated States of Micronesia
(1997)

Majority Age

18

Source: Code of the Federated States of Micronesia (1997) §1616: Age of Majority

Voting Age

18


Source:  Inter-Parliamentary Union

Situation of Young People

Youth Development Index

--
--

Literacy Rates

--
Both sexes (15-24) %
  • -- Male (15-24) %
  • -- Female (15-24) %
  • Year: No data.
  • Source: UNESCO

Net Enrolment Rate

Secondary School
--
Both sexes %
  • --Male %
  • -- Female %
  • Year: No data.
  • Source: UNESCO

Situation of Young People

Prevalence of HIV

--
Male (15-24) %
--
Female (15-24) %

Tobacco Use

Consumed any smokeless or smoking tobacco product at least once 30 days prior to the survey.
46.20%
Both sexes (13-15) %
  • 51.90% Male (13-15) %
  • 39.80% Female (13-15) %
  • Year: 2010
  • Source: WHO

Policy & Legislation

Is there a national youth policy?
Unclear
Micronesia has a national youth policy from 2004. A recent book chapter adds context.

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

Is there a governmental authority
(ministry, department or office) that is primarily responsible for youth?
Yes
As listed in the National Youth Policy 2004-2010, the Department of Health, Education and Social Affairs was the central government department responsible for youth development, which in 2007 was split into two different departments: Education and Health and Social Affairs (HSA). Urban Youth in the Pacific (2011) describes a National Youth Office within HAS, which coordinates and implements youth programmes at national and state levels, partnering with 37 governmental, non-governmental and faith-based organisations, as well as organises youth summits.

Youth and Representation

Does the country have a national youth organisation / association (council, platform, body)?
Yes
The Federated States of Micronesia National Youth Council (FSMNYC) is an umbrella organisation of youth clubs and state councils. The youth policy states that the government will work closely with the FSMNYC and State Youth Councils in the implementation of the policy. In Urban Youth in the Pacific (2011), FSMNYC is described as working closely with the National Youth Office, however neither national nor state councils receive any financial assistance from the government. Regionally, the FSMNYC is a member of the Pacific Youth Council.

Budget & Spending

What is the budget allocated to the governmental authority (ministry, department or office) that is primarily responsible for youth and/or youth programming?
USD 65,465
The 2013 budget approved for the Sport & Youth Unit within the Department of Health & Social Affairs is USD 65,465. The currency of Micronesia is the US Dollar. The World Bank lists no data on public spending on education in Micronesia for the last ten years.
Total Expenditure on Education as a Percentage of Government Spending and GDP

  • % of GDP
  • % of gov. expenditure

Source: World Bank
Gaps indicate missing data from the original data source. (Accessed August 2013).

Additional Background

From National Youth Policy 2004-2010 (2004):

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