Adolescent and young adult health

Key Facts:

• Over 1.5 million adolescents and young adults aged 10–24 years died in 2021, about 4500 every day.
• Young adolescents aged 10–14 years have the lowest risk of death among all age groups.
• Injuries (including road traffic injuries and drowning), interpersonal violence, self-harm and maternal conditions are the leading causes of death among adolescents and young adults.
• Half of all mental health disorders in adulthood start by age 14, but most cases are undetected and untreated.
• Early onset of substance use is associated with higher risks of developing dependence and other problems during adult life, and people of younger ages are disproportionately affected by substance use compared with people of older ages.
• Globally, there were 42 births per 1000 to girls aged 15–19 years in 2021.

Overview:

Survival chances for adolescents and young adults vary greatly across the world. In 2021, the probability of dying among those aged 10–24 years was highest in sub-Saharan Africa and lowest in Europe and Northern America. The average global probability of a 10-year-old dying before age 24 was about 6 times higher in sub-Saharan Africa than in North America and Europe.

Within the age group 10–24 years, mortality rates are lowest among adolescents aged 10–14, and highest among young adults aged 20–24 years. Females generally have lower mortality rates for these ages than males.

The patterns of death in those aged 10 to 24 years reflect the underlying risk profiles of the age groups, with those of 10–14-year-olds dominated by infectious diseases. Among older adolescents and young adults, a shift away from infectious diseases of childhood is seen, towards accidents and injuries, self-harm and interpersonal violence. Sex differences in mortality rates also become apparent in adolescence. Rates are higher for males from the conditions mentioned above along with collective violence and legal intervention (war/conflict). Maternal conditions become an increasingly important cause of death for young women in lower-income countries.