Stability for the Economic Future of Youth

Pakistan is one of the youngest nations in the world and that single fact should shape every serious economic decision we take. According to Pakistan’s own official economic documentation, around 67% of the population is under 30. This is not just a demographic statistic; it is a national responsibility. Because when the economy becomes unstable, it is our young people who pay first in delayed careers, compromised education, shrinking opportunities, and rising frustration.

That is why economic stability is not an abstract policy goal. For Pakistan’s youth, stability means one clear thing: a fair chance at a dignified future. Youth programmes are not “spending”, they are proof of stability. In times of real crisis, governments stop thinking long-term. They pause, cut, delay, and retreat. But when a state regains stability, it can invest again and it invests most wisely in people. This is the lens through which youth-focused programmes must be viewed. Their continuation and expansion are not symbolic announcements; they are signals of recovery, confidence, and institutional stability.

Pakistan’s labour market data shows why this matters. The latest Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) Labour Force Survey 2024–25 reports an unemployment rate of 7.1% (based on updated measurement standards), highlighting the scale of the jobs challenge and the urgency of skills and employability interventions.  And credible reporting based on the same survey indicates unemployment levels have risen over recent years, reinforcing why youth employability must remain a national priority.

Stability must therefore be judged not only by macro indicators, but by whether the state is actively building a pathway from education to employment. At this moment of recovery, the government has made an unmistakable statement of intent. The Prime Minister has publicly stated that Rs. 500 billion is being allocated for youth education, skills, and empowerment, describing it as an “investment in the nation’s destiny”.

This is exactly how such a commitment should be framed: not as a cost, but as a national investment with long-term returns. Because the economic reality is simple: skills reduce unemployment; opportunity reduces instability, and youth inclusion strengthens governance legitimacy.

A stable government does not prepare youth only for “available jobs.” It prepares them for the future economy. That is why Pakistan’s China-linked youth capacity-building initiatives matter strategically, especially in two sectors that will define national competitiveness. Pakistan has launched a government-backed initiative to send 1,000 agriculture graduates to China for modern agricultural vocational training and capacity building, with official programme documentation available through the Higher Education Commission (HEC).This is not merely foreign exposure; it is a deliberate effort to bring back practical expertise in productivity, value chains, technology-enabled farming, and innovation.

The Prime Minister has also announced plans to send Pakistani students to China (and Europe) for training in Artificial Intelligence, signalling a forward-looking move to align our youth with high-demand global skills.  In plain terms, this is how nations compete now, by building human capital that can work with emerging technologies, not fear them. For young Pakistanis, stability is not a speech. It is a lived condition that answers these questions: Will my education lead to work?; Can I afford training and certification?; Is there a pathway to entrepreneurship and professional growth? And will merit be rewarded?

Pakistan’s youth bulge can become a dividend but only if stability is used to create systems, not just announcements: training pipelines, merit-based access, transparent delivery, and measurable outcomes. Pakistan’s youth do not ask for promises they ask for direction, fairness, and opportunity. An opportunity is created when stability is real. With 67% of Pakistanis under 30, the country’s future will be decided by whether this generation becomes skilled, employable, innovative, and confident. Commitments like Rs500 billion for youth empowerment and strategic initiatives like AI and agriculture training linkages with China show a direction: recovery that is not temporary, but built on people.

If we want stability to last, it must be felt in homes, campuses, training centres, and job markets because stability becomes meaningful only when it becomes opportunity.

Author is the Focal Person, Prime Minister’s Youth Programme (PMYP)