Youth unemployment - Country rankings
* indicates monthly or quarterly data series
Youth unemployment, ages 15-24, 2023:
The average for 2023 based on 177 countries was 15.77 percent. The highest value was in Djibouti: 76.27 percent and the lowest value was in Niger: 0.42 percent. The indicator is available from 1991 to 2024. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.Measure: percent; Source: The World Bank
Select indicator
* indicates monthly or quarterly data series
| Countries | Youth unemployment, 2023 | Global rank | Available data |
|---|---|---|---|
| Djibouti | 76.27 | 1 | 1991 - 2024 |
| South Africa | 59.72 | 2 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Swaziland | 58.16 | 3 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Libya | 49.62 | 4 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Botswana | 44.36 | 5 | 1991 - 2024 |
| St. Vincent & ... | 42.32 | 6 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Jordan | 41.74 | 7 | 1991 - 2024 |
| R. of Congo | 40.41 | 8 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Tunisia | 38.48 | 9 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Namibia | 37.6 | 10 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Haiti | 36.42 | 11 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Gabon | 36.37 | 12 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Somalia | 33.85 | 13 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Yemen | 32.4 | 14 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Iraq | 31.97 | 15 | 1991 - 2024 |
| N. Caledonia | 31.88 | 16 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Syria | 31.71 | 17 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Algeria | 30.45 | 18 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Georgia | 30.17 | 19 | 1991 - 2024 |
| North Macedonia | 29.56 | 20 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Saint Lucia | 29.15 | 21 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Cape Verde | 28.76 | 22 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Spain | 28.75 | 23 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Angola | 28.08 | 24 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Bosnia & Herz. | 27.27 | 25 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Tajikistan | 26.84 | 26 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Greece | 26.64 | 27 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Sri Lanka | 26.26 | 28 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Uruguay | 26.18 | 29 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Armenia | 26.14 | 30 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Montenegro | 26 | 31 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Guyana | 25.68 | 32 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Suriname | 24.99 | 33 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Albania | 24.82 | 34 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Lesotho | 24.75 | 35 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Barbados | 24.58 | 36 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Costa Rica | 24.31 | 37 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Serbia | 23.93 | 38 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Lebanon | 23.55 | 39 | 1991 - 2023 |
| Mauritania | 23.48 | 40 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Italy | 22.73 | 41 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Iran | 22.64 | 42 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Morocco | 22.34 | 43 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Chile | 21.97 | 44 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Sweden | 21.95 | 45 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Romania | 21.69 | 46 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Nepal | 20.65 | 47 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Portugal | 20.3 | 48 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Slovakia | 19.75 | 49 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Colombia | 19.37 | 50 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Egypt | 19.07 | 51 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Croatia | 18.9 | 52 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Luxembourg | 18.85 | 53 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Belize | 18.77 | 54 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Brunei | 18.5 | 55 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Rwanda | 18.17 | 56 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Bahamas | 18.13 | 57 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Argentina | 17.95 | 58 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Brazil | 17.94 | 59 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Turkey | 17.31 | 60 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Afghanistan | 17.29 | 61 | 1991 - 2024 |
| France | 17.27 | 62 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Estonia | 17.21 | 63 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Mauritius | 16.96 | 64 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Cyprus | 16.93 | 65 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Panama | 16.76 | 66 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Belgium | 16.12 | 67 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Finland | 16.11 | 68 | 1991 - 2024 |
| China | 15.74 | 69 | 1991 - 2024 |
| India | 15.66 | 70 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Eq. Guinea | 15.55 | 71 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Fiji | 15.52 | 72 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Kuwait | 15.45 | 73 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Maldives | 15.04 | 74 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Bhutan | 14.94 | 75 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Zimbabwe | 14.48 | 76 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Oman | 14.07 | 77 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Saudi Arabia | 13.82 | 78 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Azerbaijan | 13.75 | 79 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Lithuania | 13.71 | 80 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Jamaica | 13.69 | 81 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Paraguay | 13.19 | 82 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Indonesia | 13.12 | 83 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Samoa | 13.05 | 84 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Puerto Rico | 13.04 | 85 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Hungary | 12.8 | 86 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Mongolia | 12.33 | 87 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Latvia | 12.32 | 88 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Malaysia | 12.28 | 89 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Bulgaria | 12.05 | 90 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Kenya | 12.01 | 91 | 1991 - 2024 |
| UK | 11.83 | 92 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Vanuatu | 11.68 | 93 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Domin. Rep. | 11.56 | 94 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Denmark | 11.5 | 95 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Russia | 11.16 | 96 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Poland | 11.15 | 97 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Austria | 10.98 | 98 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Norway | 10.93 | 99 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Bangladesh | 10.9 | 100 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Uzbekistan | 10.86 | 101 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Canada | 10.81 | 102 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Gambia | 10.81 | 103 | 1991 - 2024 |
| New Zealand | 10.7 | 104 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Ireland | 10.56 | 105 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Honduras | 10.5 | 106 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Belarus | 10.47 | 107 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Venezuela | 10.41 | 108 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Tr.&Tobago | 10.34 | 109 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Burma | 10.02 | 110 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Slovenia | 9.98 | 111 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Zambia | 9.75 | 112 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Pakistan | 9.71 | 113 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Eritrea | 9.47 | 114 | 1991 - 2024 |
| C.A. Republic | 9.4 | 115 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Nicaragua | 9.31 | 116 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Malta | 9.17 | 117 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Turkmenistan | 9.15 | 118 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Hong Kong | 8.94 | 119 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Peru | 8.85 | 120 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Comoros | 8.61 | 121 | 1991 - 2024 |
| S.T.&Principe | 8.53 | 122 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Iceland | 8.49 | 123 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Singapore | 8.46 | 124 | 1991 - 2024 |
| DR Congo | 8.41 | 125 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Burkina Faso | 8.4 | 126 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Australia | 8.38 | 127 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Czechia | 8.27 | 128 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Netherlands | 8.27 | 129 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Kyrgyzstan | 8.2 | 130 | 1991 - 2024 |
| USA | 7.95 | 131 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Switzerland | 7.87 | 132 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Ecuador | 7.78 | 133 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Mozambique | 7.38 | 134 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Guinea | 7.1 | 135 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Philippines | 6.99 | 136 | 1991 - 2024 |
| El Salvador | 6.96 | 137 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Malawi | 6.77 | 138 | 1991 - 2024 |
| North Korea | 6.65 | 139 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Macao | 6.61 | 140 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Israel | 6.59 | 141 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Cameroon | 6.57 | 142 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Tonga | 6.49 | 143 | 1991 - 2024 |
| UA Emirates | 6.47 | 144 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Vietnam | 6.34 | 145 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Germany | 5.95 | 146 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Mexico | 5.84 | 147 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Bahrain | 5.52 | 148 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Ghana | 5.48 | 149 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Madagascar | 5.48 | 150 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Ethiopia | 5.44 | 151 | 1991 - 2024 |
| South Korea | 5.41 | 152 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Nigeria | 5.13 | 153 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Bolivia | 4.96 | 154 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Thailand | 4.55 | 155 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Guatemala | 4.33 | 156 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Ivory Coast | 4.24 | 157 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Uganda | 4.23 | 158 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Japan | 4.12 | 159 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Moldova | 3.99 | 160 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Senegal | 3.89 | 161 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Kazakhstan | 3.8 | 162 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Mali | 3.8 | 163 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Papua N.G. | 3.8 | 164 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Sierra Leone | 3.49 | 165 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Togo | 3.4 | 166 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Tanzania | 3.33 | 167 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Benin | 3.12 | 168 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Solomon Isl. | 2.95 | 169 | 1991 - 2024 |
| G.-Bissau | 2.82 | 170 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Liberia | 2.19 | 171 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Laos | 2.18 | 172 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Burundi | 1.68 | 173 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Chad | 1.42 | 174 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Cambodia | 0.69 | 175 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Qatar | 0.57 | 176 | 1991 - 2024 |
| Niger | 0.42 | 177 | 1991 - 2024 |
Definition: Youth unemployment refers to the share of the labor force ages 15-24 without work but available for and seeking employment.
What explains the differences in youth unemployment across countries
Youth unemployment is typically high in countries with overall high unemployment where the economy is struggling to create jobs. These are the countries at the top the chart. Further below, at around 20-30 percent unemployment one sees several advanced European countries such as Greece, Italy, and Spain. These countries do not have very dynamic labor markets with a big churn of new positions. Also, older workers are more entrenched in their positions and the firing and hiring of labor is more complicated by regulations and customs.
Notice also that countries with significant demographic issues such as South Korea and Japan have very low youth unemployment. There just aren't many young people, relatively speaking. In some countries at the bottom of the chart such as Chad, Liberia, and Niger there are many young people but they may be out of the labor force. Recall that to be considered unemployed one has to be without a job but actively looking for one.
Selected articles from our guide:
Are trade deficits bad for the economy?
Sources of economic growth
Currency values and investment returns
How to write an economics research paper
All articles
Youth unemployment is typically high in countries with overall high unemployment where the economy is struggling to create jobs. These are the countries at the top the chart. Further below, at around 20-30 percent unemployment one sees several advanced European countries such as Greece, Italy, and Spain. These countries do not have very dynamic labor markets with a big churn of new positions. Also, older workers are more entrenched in their positions and the firing and hiring of labor is more complicated by regulations and customs.
Notice also that countries with significant demographic issues such as South Korea and Japan have very low youth unemployment. There just aren't many young people, relatively speaking. In some countries at the bottom of the chart such as Chad, Liberia, and Niger there are many young people but they may be out of the labor force. Recall that to be considered unemployed one has to be without a job but actively looking for one.
76.27
59.72
58.16
49.62
44.36
42.32
41.74
40.41
38.48
37.60
36.42
36.37
33.85
32.40
31.97
31.88
31.71
30.45
30.17
29.56
29.15
28.76
28.75
28.08
27.27
26.84
26.64
26.26
26.18
26.14
26.00
25.68
24.99
24.82
24.75
24.58
24.31
23.93
23.55
23.48
22.73
22.64
22.34
21.97
21.95
21.69
20.65
20.30
19.75
19.37
19.07
18.90
18.85
18.77
18.50
18.17
18.13
17.95
17.94
17.31
17.29
17.27
17.21
16.96
16.93
16.76
16.12
16.11
15.74
15.66
15.55
15.52
15.45
15.04
14.94
14.48
14.07
13.82
13.75
13.71
13.69
13.19
13.12
13.05
13.04
12.80
12.33
12.32
12.28
12.05
12.01
11.83
11.68
11.56
11.50
11.16
11.15
10.98
10.93
10.90
10.86
10.81
10.81
10.70
10.56
10.50
10.47
10.41
10.34
10.02
9.98
9.75
9.71
9.47
9.40
9.31
9.17
9.15
8.94
8.85
8.61
8.53
8.49
8.46
8.41
8.40
8.38
8.27
8.27
8.20
7.95
7.87
7.78
7.38
7.10
6.99
6.96
6.77
6.65
6.61
6.59
6.57
6.49
6.47
6.34
5.95
5.84
5.52
5.48
5.48
5.44
5.41
5.13
4.96
4.55
4.33
4.24
4.23
4.12
3.99
3.89
3.80
3.80
3.80
3.49
3.40
3.33
3.12
2.95
2.82
2.19
2.18
1.68
1.42
0.69
0.57
0.42
0
19.1
38.1
57.2
76.27
Youth unemployment in Europe Youth unemployment in Asia Youth unemployment in Africa Youth unemployment in North America Youth unemployment in South America Youth unemployment in Australia/Oceania Youth unemployment in the European union Youth unemployment in Sub Sahara Africa Youth unemployment in MENA Youth unemployment in South East Asia Youth unemployment in Latin America