The brutalised boy soldiers in Liberia, racing around in trucks firing their Kalashnikovs, provided some of the most shocking pictures of the summer. The images are so appalling that it is difficult to think clearly about what lies behind them. But I believe they contain a crucial clue to the problem of violence and disorder, not just around the world but also closer to home.
The clue is there in front of us on the television-these are societies with crowds of youngsters and few adults. The boy soldiers of Liberia are living in an extraordinarily youthful society. In Liberia, the median age-the point at which there are equal numbers of people above and below-is only 16.6 years. By contrast, the median age in Britain is 20 years older-37.7.
The Centre for Strategic and International Studies in Washington has identified a clear pattern-the world’s trouble spots are the states with the youngest populations. Of the world’s 25 most youthful countries, 16 have experienced major civil conflict since 1995. And this is not a new phenomenon. China’s median age at the time of the cultural revolution was 19. Iran’s median age when the Shah was deposed was 17. What do Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria and Pakistan all have in common now? They all have a median age of under 19. In Palestine it is 17; in Yemen it is 15. These are teenage countries. Among countries with the oldest populations, only Croatia has been involved in conflict over the past 15 years. Japan, the world’s oldest country with a median age of 41.3 years, is also one of the most pacific.
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