Bolivia

The Edmund Rice Mission has been established since 2003. Through the Cochabamba Youth Programme, it has helped the marginalised and disadvantaged youth in the area. Bolivia has a long history of poverty and political unrest. It is the poorest and least developed country in South America, with almost two-thirds of its population living in poverty.

Population: 10.1 million
Life expectancy: 65 years (men), 69 years (women)
Infant mortality rate: 39 per 1000
Public Expenditure on health: 3% of GDP
HIV/AIDS: 12,000 people or 0.2% of population
Public Expenditure on Education: 6.3% of GDP
% of children primary school age not in school: 9%
Primary school dropout rates: 16.3%
Unemployment, youth ages 15-24: 9.2%