Chapter 10 one adopted in this chapter. With Ghana's population amounting to 18.9 million in 2000 and an annual growth rate of 2.7 percent, the 2000 Population and 145 Housing Census provides the following age categories of the youth, who constitute about 33 percent of Ghana's total population: 15-19 years – 10 percent 20-24 years – 8.5 percent 25-29 years – 7.9 percent 30-34 years – 6.4 percent Worldwide, it is recognized that the youth face various socio­economic challenges such as poverty, unemployment and underemployment, peer pressure, delinquency, parental neglect, and illiteracy. Some of these challenges have been worsened by global developments. According to the 2011 UN World Youth Report, youth unemployment has been worsened by the global economic crisis(UNDESA, 2011:11). The International Labour Organization(2012:13) also reports that gains that had been made in the period 2002 to 2007 in terms of a decline in global youth unemployment suddenly came to a halt with the global economic crises. The global youth unemployment rate thus reached its highest point between 2008 and 2009. In Ghana, the 2010 National Youth Policy document which is 'intended to provide guidelines and direction for all stakeholders involved in the implementation of policies, programmes and projects for the development of the youth'(Ministry of Youth and 145 The 2000 Population and Housing Census has been used in this chapter because the summary report of the 2010 Population and Housing Census Final Report which was released on 31 May 2012 did not include a detailed breakdown of the youth population of Ghana 308