Education has been hailed in Peru and internationally as a key institution for economic growth and personal development. While Peru has achieved great advances in terms of access and enrolment, there are many challenges associated with achieving high levels of ‘learning for all’. Overall, the Young Lives data show that children in the Younger Cohort (age 12 in 2013) are achieving better results than the Older Cohort children at the same age (in 2006).

This fact sheet describes the survey methods and sample design of Young Lives in Peru. It covers: principles of the Young Lives sampling approach; how districts and communities were selected and the sample children identified;  a brief description of the 20 sentinel sites; brief characteristics of the sample children (in 2013); attrition rates; and key topics covered by survey in Round 4.

At age 19 the young adults in the Young Lives Older Cohort have reached a stage in life when they face critical choices and decisions. A large number of them had already completed school and many are enrolled in tertiary education. We identify substantial differences by gender in tertiary education and in use of time. These differences are likely to be partially driven by early pregnancy (a quarter of the girls are already mothers), but we also see differences according to household wealth level.

This fact sheet presents preliminary findings from the fourth round of the Young Lives survey in Peru in 2013. It reports on some of the changes that have taken place in household poverty levels over the eleven years since we first interviewed the study children in 2002. The data show a meaningful improvement in living standards of the children’s families. While gaps in welfare-related outcomes persist, these have reduced over time, in some cases substantially.