• 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 18, 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 younger people are disproportionately affected by substance use compared with older people.
• 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 average 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 of 10–14-year-olds are 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.

Main health issues

Many unintentional injuries such as road traffic and drowning are the leading cause of death and disability among adolescents.

• Road traffic accidentsIn 2021, over 100 000 adolescents (10–19 years) died from road traffic accidents. Many of those who died were vulnerable road users, including pedestrians, cyclists or users of motorized two-wheelers.Injuries and violence fact sheet
• DrowningDrowning is also among the top causes of death among adolescents; more than 40 000 adolescents, over three quarters of them boys, are estimated to have drowned in 2021.Drowning fact sheet
• ViolenceInterpersonal violence is among the leading causes of death in adolescents and young people globally. Its prominence varies substantially by world region. It causes nearly a third of all adolescent male deaths in the WHO Region of the Americas.  Violence during adolescence also increases the risks of injury, HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, mental health problems, poor school performance and dropout, early pregnancy, reproductive health problems, and communicable and noncommunicable diseases.Youth violence fact sheet
• Alcohol and drug useDrinking alcohol among adolescents is a major concern in many countries. Worldwide, more than a quarter of all people aged 15–19 years are current drinkers, amounting to 155 million adolescents. Prevalence of heavy episodic drinking among adolescents aged 15­–19 years was 13.6% in 2016, with males most at risk.Cannabis is the most widely used psychoactive drug among young people with about 4.7% of people aged 15–16 years using it at least once in 2018. Alcohol and drug use in children and adolescents is associated with neurocognitive alterations which can lead to behavioural, emotional, social and academic problems in later life.Alcohol fact sheet
• Mental health
• Tobacco use
• Communicable diseases
• Early pregnancy and childbirth
• Environmental health
• Overweight
• Nutrition
• Physical activity

Globally, in 2016, only 1 in 5 adolescents are estimated to meet WHO guidelines on physical activity. Prevalence of inactivity is high across all WHO regions, and higher in female as compared to male adolescents (8)

WHO response

WHO works with Member States and partners to improve the health of young people by producing evidence-based guidelines, advocating and providing recommendations for adolescent-responsive health systems, and documenting progress in adolescent health and development.

In 2023, WHO published an update of the Global Accelerated Action for the Health of Adolescents (AA-HA!): Guidance to support country implementation. AA-HA! 2.0 has drawn on inputs received during consultations with Member States, United Nations agencies, adolescents and young people, civil society and other partners. It aims to assist governments in deciding what they plan to do and how they plan to do it as they respond to the health needs of adolescents.

To improve adolescent health measurement globally, WHO in collaboration with UNAIDS, UNESCO, UNFAP, UNICEF, UN Women, the World Bank Group, and the World Food Programme (WFP), has established the Global Action for Measurement of Adolescent health (GAMA) Advisory Group. A comprehensive set of 47 priority indicators for global, regional and national adolescent health measurement has been published in 2024 using a structured participatory process.