Youth Leaders in developing countries express themselves on key issues affecting their communities, their countries, and the world, as well as their vision for the future.
Four thematic examples paint the picture of how youth leaders in developing countries are viewing key issues. Each card below provides a deep dive into these themes with filters, methodology, and the current survey results. The comprehensive list of themes are available here.
Across the 2025 and 2026 surveys, mental health remains high in the Kectil Global Youth Index summary. Explore the direct question distributions in the Data Explorer.
90% of 2026 respondents call social media a good platform for youth entrepreneurs, while 76% say inflation affects their ability to afford basic needs.
86% of 2026 respondents say corruption is a major obstacle to their home country's development — down from 91% in 2025.
78% of 2026 respondents say air pollution affects community health, while only 35% think their country is doing enough on climate and sustainability.
Filter voices by region, theme, gender, and survey year. The map highlights where youth in developing countries are speaking loudest on each issue — and where new data just arrived.
Voices collected by region
2025-2026 · n = 4,958Thematic explorer
Scale: 0 (low issue pressure) to 100 (high issue pressure). Source: Kectil Youth Speak 2025 and 2026; direct question distributions are in the Data Explorer.
Every number in this index is a person. Here are three of the 4,958 voices that shaped the 2025 and 2026 surveys.
“I hope the youth in my country have good education, jobs, safety, and the chance to help improve their communities.”
Female, 21, Afghanistan
Education“I hope for a future where youths can be true lead voices in policy changes and the development of the country.”
Female, 26, Nigeria
Governance“I hope young people in my home country will become more confident to choose their own paths in the coming years.”
Female, 25, Uzbekistan
JobsCommon language
The Index converts Kectil Youth Speak results into public context for researchers, policymakers, funders, and youth-serving organizations.
