Data on young people can help predict future economic and social problems.

• Position: Graph Exercise

World Affairs Annual data provide more than a snapshot of current conditions. They also provide clues to future developments. One of the more important clues is data showing the percentage of each country's population below age 15. Experts say that poor countries with high numbers of young people may face economic and social upheaval as their populations swell and there are not enough jobs--or even enough food--to satisfy the growing population. This is already happening in parts of Africa. At the same time, wealthier countries with low numbers of young people may experience ethnic tensions as immigrants flock in to fill low-level jobs. This is already happening in parts of Europe. Data in this graph show the percentage of populations below age 15 in 19 countries. Use the data to answer the questions below.

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1. The percentage of the under-15 population in Afghanistan is how many times greater than that of the U.S.?

   a three times

   b two times

   c five times

   d six times

2. If the percentage of the U.S. under-15 population were to fall by about a third, it would then be nearly equal to that of three other countries shown on the graph. Which other countries?

3. Data in the 1993 World Affairs Annual show that Russia's under-15 population was then 23 percent of the country's entire population. About how many percentage points has this population dropped since then?

   a 2 percentage points

   b 4 percentage points

   c 7 percentage points

   d 12 percentage points

4. Which country has an under-15 population percentage more than 20 points above the world average?

5. Albania, an Eastern European country not shown on the graph, has an under-15 population of 32 percent. About how many percentage points higher is Albania's under-15 population than that of the U.S.?

   a 7

   b 4

   c 11

   d 20

6. What is the approximate percentage-point gap between the country with the...