Overview
Situated approximately an hour’s flying time north of Darwin, Australia, the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste is one of the world’s youngest nations. Geographically, it is a small country comprising approximately 15,000 square kilometres of the eastern half of Timor Island, a small number of offshore islands, and an exclave situated on the northern coast of West Timor.
After centuries of colonial administration and decades of hostile occupation, Timor-Leste became a sovereign, independent nation in 2002.
Demographics
Timor-Leste is home to just over a million people and has one of the youngest populations in the Asia-Pacific region, with a median age of 17.4 years (Government of Timor-Leste, 2019).
Development Challenges
Despite its rich natural resources and significant economic, health, and education gains since 2002, Timor-Leste remains classified by the United Nations as a least developed country and continues to face the myriad challenges associated with this classification.
Key development indicators include:
- In 2014, nearly 42% of citizens were living in poverty (World Bank, 2020)
- In 2018, Timor-Leste ranked 131 out of 189 countries on the Human Development Index, which assesses long-term progress on life expectancy, education, and per capita income
Gender Inequality
Gender inequality represents a significant obstacle to socio-economic development. Urgent concerns include:
- Pervasive gender-based violence
- High maternal mortality rates
- Significant gender gaps in labour market participation
- Underrepresentation in local governance
When employment fell to 89.6% in 2010 (from 91.5% in 2004), women and rural areas were most affected:
| Group | Employment Change |
|---|---|
| Women | −5.3% |
| Men | −0.2% |
Addressing gender inequality is an imperative for Timor-Leste’s sustainable development (United Nations Development Program, 2019; Ministry of Finance, 2010).
Publication year: 2022