The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA-Pakistan) on Wednesday launched the Youth Development Index (YDI) Tool 2025, in collaboration with the Prime Minister’s Youth Program (PMYP) and SDPI as implementing partner, to develop the Pakistan Youth Development Index (PYDI) – 2026 to systematically measure and track the progress of youth well-being and development in Pakistan.

The YDI Tool 2025 has been rolled out with the clear objective to collate the progress on youth development for establishing YDI 2026 that demonstrate Pakistan’s commitment to global frameworks such as the UN, Commonwealth, and other international organizations, said a pres release.

The Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI), as implementing partner of PMYP and UNFPA will extend secretariat support to PYDI Technical Working Group (TWG) to finalize YDI Tool along with finalizing the pre-testing methodology, validity of tool, data collection instrument, weighting of domains and indicators, assessing data availability and ensuring their suitability for the Pakistan Youth Development Index.

The Youth Development Index (YDI) is a composite measure developed by the Commonwealth Secretariat to assess the multi-dimensional progress of young people aged 15–29. YDI measures the multi-dimensional progress of youth across various sectors, including education, employment, health, civic participation and political engagement.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Muhammad Ali Malik, Deputy Secretary to the Prime Minister, emphasized the urgent need for the Pakistan Youth Development Index (PYDI), highlighting the country’s unique demographic profile. According to the 2023 Census, nearly 68% to 70% of Pakistan’s population is under the age of 30, equivalent to almost three out of every four Pakistanis.

Dr. Malik underscored that if the immense potential of this youth population is effectively harnessed through a conducive environment, Pakistan can reap a powerful demographic dividend by turning its youth into a national asset. Conversely, failure to address youth needs could give rise to serious social challenges, including radicalization and extremism.

He explained that the Primary objective of the PYDI is to establish measurable indicators of youth empowerment and progress, enabling performance assessment, identification of gaps, and the definition of success in quantifiable terms. These insights will serve as a roadmap for effective government interventions.

Reflecting on the Youth Development Index (YDI) 2021, Dr. Malik noted that limited data availability posed significant challenges, leading to compromises in indicators and reliance on qualitative methods. With a stronger foundation now in place, the new PYDI will build on this progress.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)