International Youth Day
Next: August 12, 2027
Here's to the next generation.
The story
Where it comes from
The idea came from young people themselves. In 1991 the first World Youth Forum of the United Nations System, meeting in Vienna, called for an international youth day. On 12 August 1998 the first World Conference of Ministers Responsible for Youth, held in Lisbon, proposed one, and the UN General Assembly endorsed 12 August as International Youth Day on 17 December 1999. The day celebrates young people as partners in society and draws attention to the issues they face.
How it's celebrated
The UN chooses a focus for the day, often with youth organisations, and holds an online event. Around the world, young people run forums, volunteer drives, concerts and campaigns about the issues in their own countries, and schools and youth groups hold debates and open days. It is also a good day to ask a young person what they think, and to listen.
Did you know
- The draft resolution in Lisbon named 8 August; delegates from Mali and Botswana suggested moving it to 12 August, the closing day of the conference.
- For statistics, the UN counts youth as people aged 15 to 24, and roughly one person in five in the world is in that group.
- Malaysia lowered its legal youth age limit from 40 to under 30, a change that took effect on 1 January 2026.
Coming up next
- International Left-Handers Day · August 13, 2027
- Maulidur Rasul · August 14, 2027
- Hans Christian Ørsted's Birthday · August 14, 2027
- Independence Day (India) · August 15, 2027
- Opening of the Panama Canal · August 15, 2027
- First Transatlantic Telegraph Message · August 16, 2027