The 2012 World Junior Championships in Athletics was an international athletics competition for athletes qualifying as juniors which was held at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, on 10–15 July 2012. A total of 44 athletics events were contested at the championships, 22 by male and 22 by female athletes.

The 2010 World Junior Championships in Athletics was an international athletics competition for athletes under the age of 20 which was held at the Moncton Stadium in Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada from 19 to 25 July 2010. A total of 44 athletics events were contested at the Championships, 22 by male and 22 by female athletes. It was the second time that the event took place in Canada, after the 1988 edition in Sudbury. This became the last event announced by Scott Davis.