The aim of the review is to analyse various debates regarding the youth in Sri Lanka and it primarily looks at areas in relation to poverty and youth, and also focuses on education, politics, employment and development. The role that the youth played during the periods of unrest in the 1970s and the 1980s has got both scholars and policy makers interested in understanding the youth better. Therefore the review introduces prior research and discusses the main ideas in them. It compares these studies with each other and suggests what areas may need further research.