Are Sub-Saharan African Children and Adolescents Economic Gain or Burden?

About 50% of the population of sub-Saharan Africa are children and adolescents. This study uses the age-structure-economic framework to analyse census data for three countries in the region to examine whether the large proportion of children and adolescents are economic dividend or burden. Census data for Kenya, Senegal and South Africa were purposively selected for analysis. Descriptive analytical strategies were used to examine the age structure, educational attainment and employment status. The series of census data analysed show vividly that large proportion of young people in the selected countries is mainly dependants. Thus, the youthful population structure is critical to the prevailing high dependency ratio in the countries. Consistent with age-structure-economic framework adopted for the study, the present proportion of children and adolescents are more of economic burden to individual families and governments. Nevertheless, if sustainable fertility decline is pursued through reductionate population policies, the current large proportion of children and adolescents would graduate into the working age population in about a decade or so and dependency ratio would begin to fall. If appropriate economic, social and legal frameworks are put in place, this situation is most likely to propel rapid economic growth.