CAIRO, EGYPT — Young people are a national priority and the future investment of the country, however despite their importance, there is a dearth of data on the many issues that confront young people today. To address this information gap, The Population Council and Information and Decision Support Center conducted a survey entitled "Survey on Young People in Egypt".

This survey began as an initiative from the Population Council supported by the technical and financial contributions of multilateral organizations, including UN agencies (lead by UNFPA), international NGOs and bi-lateral donors. The support and participation of the Egyptian Government through the Information and Decision Support Center, reflects the dedication and focus that decision makers in Egypt are affording issues surrounding young people.

A joint agreement was signed to conduct the Survey on Young People in Egypt from age 10–29 years. The survey’s results will yield many analytical and strategic documents starting with the launch of the preliminary results today.

The survey is a true representative sample of families in Egypt, targeting all governorates, including the frontier governorates. The survey includes around 11,372 families, and interviews were successfully conducted with approximately 15,000 young people aged 10-29 years, representing (males and females), rural, urban and slum areas. The survey deals with many topics of interest to young people, covering the five life transitions for young people: health, education, employment, marriage and social engagement.

The Information and Decision Support Center is considered one of the centres of excellence in Egypt. Its mandate is to support decision makers in economic, social and political reform issues. The Center was established on 15 November 1985 by Decree number 41 for year 1985 by a decision of the Minister of Cabinet Affairs.

The Center aims to work towards Egypt’s advancement by providing information to support decision-making in issues relating to economic, social and political development. The Center contributes significantly to the expansion of ideas and concepts that have influenced the foreign and domestic policies of the Egyptian Government.