Several of the countries with the highest youth unemployment rates worldwide in 2023 are located in Africa. Djibouti had the highest rate at 76 percent, followed by Eswatini and Libya.

From 2000 until 2019, youth unemployment fluctuated between 13 and 15.5 percent, before it rose above 17 percent in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic. Youth unemployment Just like the general unemployment rate, youth unemployment is recorded and monitored to gauge the job market situation in a country and worldwide. Youth unemployment includes unemployed individuals aged 15 to 24, typically referring to those who have either just finished school or graduated and are looking for jobs. In order to be registered as unemployed, a person must be able to work, unemployed, and looking for a job. Usually youth unemployment is higher than adult unemployment, as many graduates do not find employment right after they have graduated. Regional breakdown The world region with the highest youth unemployment rate has been the Arab World for the past two decades, while East Asia and the Pacific has generally had the lowest rate. Apart from the sharp rise in 2020, the most notable increase came in 2009 as a result of the Great Recession; while this increase can be observed on a global scale, its impact on youth unemployment was more severely felt in more advanced economies in Europe and North America.

This dataset provides values for YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT RATE.439 reported in several countries. The data includes current values, previous releases, historical highs and record lows, release frequency, reported unit and currency.

The youth unemployment rate of South Africa was over 50 percent in 2023, the highest of any G20 country. Italy followed with a youth unemployment rate of 23 percent. In contrast, Japan's youth unemployment rate was the lowest at only 4.2 percent. Economic crisis in Argentina At 18 percent, youth unemployment in Argentina falls third out of the G20 nations. The Argentinian economy was hit by a recession beginning in 2022, with an average inflation rate of nearly 72 percent that year, jumping to over 130 percent in 2023. Such staggering inflation has hit Argentinian consumers hard, with the average consumer price index going from nearly 918 in 2021 to 1,584 in 2022, before increasing to nearly 3,700 in 2023. While youth unemployment has fallen in Argentina since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, factors such as skyrocketing inflation make getting by difficult for many. Inequality in South Africa With a youth unemployment rate of just over 50 percent, South Africa stands out from the rest of the G20 nations. Thirty years after the end of Apartheid, South Africa is considered the most unequal country in the world. Using the Gini Index, which measures income inequality with zero representing totally equal distribution and one representing unequal distribution, South Africa has a score of 0.63, higher than any other nation. Poverty and inequality are a major concern for South Africans, with over 30 percent of survey respondents expressing worry over the issue in January 2024, a slight decrease from a recent peak of 38 percent in August 2023.

Globally, the youth unemployment rate (of those aged 15-24 years) fluctuated between 13 and 15.5 percent in each year between 2000 and 2019, before it rose above 18 percent in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Broken down by global region, however, there was much more variation. The Arab World was the region with the highest rate of youth unemployment in each year of the previous two decades, while East Asia and the Pacific generally had the lowest youth unemployment rate. Additionally there was a notable increase in regions with the most advanced economies after 2008, as these were the most severely hit during the Great Recession.

This dataset provides values for YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT RATE reported in several countries. The data includes current values, previous releases, historical highs and record lows, release frequency, reported unit and currency.

Graph and download economic data for Youth Unemployment Rate for High Income Countries (SLUEM1524ZSHIC) from 1991 to 2024 about income, unemployment, and rate.

Niger was the country in the world with the lowest youth unemployment rate at only 0.4 percent in 2023. Sub-Saharan Africa is the world region with the highest youth unemployment rates worldwide. Qatar had the second lowest youth unemployment rate in the world at 0.5 percent, followed by Cambodia at 0.7 percent. The unemployment rate only shows the share of youth who have actively registered as unemployed, not the actual share of youth who are out of employment.

This dataset provides values for YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT RATE reported in several countries. The data includes current values, previous releases, historical highs and record lows, release frequency, reported unit and currency.

Graph and download economic data for Youth Unemployment Rate for China (SLUEM1524ZSCHN) from 1991 to 2024 about 15 to 24 years, China, unemployment, and rate.

World unemployment rate for 2023 was 4.96%, a 0.3% decline from 2022.

<ul style='margin-top:20px;'>

<li>World unemployment rate for 2022 was <strong>5.26%</strong>, a <strong>0.77% decline</strong> from 2021.</li>
<li>World unemployment rate for 2021 was <strong>6.03%</strong>, a <strong>0.55% decline</strong> from 2020.</li>
<li>World unemployment rate for 2020 was <strong>6.59%</strong>, a <strong>1% increase</strong> from 2019.</li>
</ul>Unemployment refers to the share of the labor force that is without work but available for and seeking employment.

The average for 2023 based on 12 countries was 16.63 percent. The highest value was in Uruguay: 26.16 percent and the lowest value was in Bolivia: 5.26 percent. The indicator is available from 1991 to 2023. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

Graph and download economic data for Unemployment Rate - 16-24 Yrs. (LNS14024887) from Jan 1948 to May 2025 about 16 to 24 years, unemployment, rate, and USA.

United States - Youth Unemployment Rate for World was 13.57% in January of 2024, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, United States - Youth Unemployment Rate for World reached a record high of 17.21 in January of 2020 and a record low of 10.67 in January of 1991. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for United States - Youth Unemployment Rate for World - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on May of 2025.

U.S. youth unemployment rate for 2024 was 9.39%, a 1.44% increase from 2023.

<ul style='margin-top:20px;'>

<li>U.S. youth unemployment rate for 2023 was <strong>7.95%</strong>, a <strong>0.15% decline</strong> from 2022.</li>
<li>U.S. youth unemployment rate for 2022 was <strong>8.11%</strong>, a <strong>1.6% decline</strong> from 2021.</li>
<li>U.S. youth unemployment rate for 2021 was <strong>9.70%</strong>, a <strong>5.19% decline</strong> from 2020.</li>
</ul>Youth unemployment refers to the share of the labor force ages 15-24 without work but available for and seeking employment.

Graph and download economic data for Youth Unemployment Rate for Bangladesh (SLUEM1524ZSBGD) from 1991 to 2024 about Bangladesh, 15 to 24 years, unemployment, and rate.

As of June 2024, Spain had the highest youth unemployment rate in Europe, at 25.8 percent, with Sweden having the second-highest youth unemployment rate as of this month, at 23.8 percent. Across the 27 member states of the European Union, the overall youth unemployment rate was 14.6 percent, with Germany having the lowest youth unemployment rate of 6.8 percent.

Graph and download economic data for Youth Unemployment Rate for Kenya (SLUEM1524ZSKEN) from 1991 to 2024 about Kenya, 15 to 24 years, unemployment, and rate.

OECD members youth unemployment rate for 2023 was 11.30%, a 0.29% decline from 2022.

<ul style='margin-top:20px;'>

<li>OECD members youth unemployment rate for 2022 was <strong>11.59%</strong>, a <strong>2.07% decline</strong> from 2021.</li>
<li>OECD members youth unemployment rate for 2021 was <strong>13.66%</strong>, a <strong>2.16% decline</strong> from 2020.</li>
<li>OECD members youth unemployment rate for 2020 was <strong>15.82%</strong>, a <strong>3.18% increase</strong> from 2019.</li>
</ul>Youth unemployment refers to the share of the labor force ages 15-24 without work but available for and seeking employment.

youth unemployment rate for 2023 was 13.21%, a 0.52% increase from 2022.

<ul style='margin-top:20px;'>

<li> youth unemployment rate for 2022 was <strong>12.69%</strong>, a <strong>1.14% increase</strong> from 2021.</li>
<li> youth unemployment rate for 2021 was <strong>11.55%</strong>, a <strong>0.06% increase</strong> from 2020.</li>
<li> youth unemployment rate for 2020 was <strong>11.49%</strong>, a <strong>1.61% increase</strong> from 2019.</li>
</ul>Youth unemployment refers to the share of the labor force ages 15-24 without work but available for and seeking employment.