Demography and Education in Niger: A Prospective Analysis (DEMEDU-NIGER)

Niger has the fastest population growth in the world and is among the least developed countries according to the United Nations Development Program. High population growth, whose inertia will continue to ensure rapid population increase in the medium to long term, presents a planning challenge for the development of Niger. Indeed, Nigeriens are overwhelmingly young. The social, economic, environmental and technological development of the country requires that this juvenile population receives quality education. It is certain that the high population growth complicates the challenge of education for all. Niger's future depends largely on the country's ability to meet this challenge. In the partnership between UNICEF and IIASA, we propose to study different options for demographic development and the level of education of the Nigerien population in order to sensitize the various actors on the possible consequences of political choices.

This project will study several scenarios of Niger's population and education development using multi-state macro-projections. Regional and ethnic dimensions are incorporated into the projections to provide a more accurate picture of the demographic challenges facing Niger. 

The work carried out within this project provides tools for reflection to guide policy at national and regional level. The main users will be the different ministries and main organizations that support them.