Lucy Lamble looks at the importance of factoring the growing population of young people into the debate, and the power of family planning to affect economic development in poorer countries. She talks to Beth Schlachter of FP2020; Julia Bunting from the Population Council; Liz Ford, Global development’s deputy editor; Ali Kaviri, a youth rights and women’s campaigner in Uganda; Annet Nabizzizzi, a volunteer community health worker at Reproductive Health Uganda; and Annet Kyarimpa Mukabe, a coordinator for safe motherhood at RHU.