Africa Scout region sees jump in youth membership
Several regions saw significant growth in 2023. Most notable was in Africa, where numbers nearly doubled (95.9%), rising to almost 10 million following efforts to strengthen national data collection.
Two countries in particular stood out: Nigeria, which added 2.3 million new members, and Kenya, which welcomed 2.2 million. These increases make Nigeria and Kenya the second- and third-largest NSOs in the Movement.
Scouting’s growth isn’t limited to just one part of the world. The number of young people and volunteers registered in the Asia-Pacific Region rose to 37.2 million (up 4.8% year-on-year), largely driven by gains in the Philippines, where over 772,000 new members were registered, and India, which saw an increase of more than 672,000.
Madhusudan Avala, Additional International Commissioner of India’s The Bharat Scouts and Guides, welcomed the rise in membership figures. “The Bharat Scouts and Guides has experienced a significant leap in membership growth since the formation of the National Growth Strategy in 2020, which aims to reach 4.5 million Scouts in India by 2025,” Madhusudan said, adding that the NSO hopes to leverage the country’s large youth population and have 10 million Scouts by 2028.
He added that having a growth strategy in place led to the “redesign of the youth programme, which focuses on inclusivity, community outreach, and programmes that drive growth and make a meaningful impact on young people and prepare them to be ready for life”.
This growth trend was followed in Europe, which now has 2 million members(up 3.7%), and the Arab Region with 515,000 (1.5%). While membership numbers dropped in the Interamerican Scout Region to 1.8 million (down 11.2%), there were positive signs in countries in Latin America, like Chile, where figures grew.