Iranian Youth in Times of Economic Crisis

Young people in Iran have emerged as important players on the country's political scene but remain marginal on its economic scene. Youth unemployment is at record high levels and, for the majority of youth, marriage and family formation are increasingly becoming challenges to overcome rather than celebrations of reaching adulthood. The old panacea that promised youth better futures through more education no longer seems to work in Iran; educated youth often find transition to adulthood more difficult than less educated youth. This paper will review the evidence on youth transitions in Iran, using recent survey data to show how the economic crisis since 2008 has affected youth transitions to employment and to marriage.