Countries With the Lowest Youth Not in Work or Study
Every country with a figure for youth not in work or study, ranked from lowest to highest. The top three are Japan (3.14%), Iceland (3.98%) and Netherlands (4.14%). The middle country of the 178 has 18.7%.
What this measures
Share of youth not in education, employment or training, total (% of youth population), in % of 15 to 24 year olds. Source: International Labour Organization. For this measure, higher is worse.
From labour force surveys, so yearly for about a hundred countries and occasional elsewhere.
The full ranking
Each country’s latest figure, from 2010–2025. The year beside each value says when it was measured.
| Rank | Country | Youth not in work or study | Year | Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Japan | 3.14% | 2019 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 2 | Iceland | 3.98% | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 3 | Netherlands | 4.14% | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 4 | Czechia | 4.62% | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 5 | Macao SAR, China | 4.96% | 2016 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 6 | Sweden | 5.58% | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 7 | Ireland | 5.67% | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 8 | Norway | 5.82% | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 9 | Hong Kong SAR, China | 5.95% | 2025 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 10 | Cambodia | 6.32% | 2023 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 11 | Singapore | 6.46% | 2025 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 12 | Russian Federation | 6.68% | 2025 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 13 | Bermuda | 6.79% | 2010 | North America |
| 14 | Denmark | 6.9% | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 15 | Switzerland | 6.99% | 2025 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 16 | Portugal | 7.02% | 2025 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 17 | Solomon Islands | 7.04% | 2013 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 18 | Slovenia | 7.13% | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 19 | Germany | 7.58% | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 20 | Malta | 7.84% | 2024 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 21 | Bolivia | 8.02% | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 22 | Croatia | 8.08% | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 23 | Belgium | 8.15% | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 24 | Finland | 8.28% | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 25 | Australia | 8.53% | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 26 | Slovak Republic | 8.75% | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 27 | United Arab Emirates | 8.92% | 2023 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 28 | Moldova | 9.05% | 2025 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 29 | Kazakhstan | 9.49% | 2016 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 30 | Azerbaijan | 9.64% | 2010 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 31 | Latvia | 9.89% | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 32 | Mongolia | 9.9% | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 33 | Hungary | 9.98% | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 34 | Poland | 10.1% | 2025 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 35 | Malaysia | 10.2% | 2022 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 36 | Luxembourg | 10.2% | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 37 | Estonia | 10.2% | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 38 | Viet Nam | 10.3% | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 39 | Greece | 10.4% | 2025 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 40 | Spain | 10.5% | 2025 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 41 | Bulgaria | 10.9% | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 42 | Burundi | 11.2% | 2020 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 43 | Palau | 11.3% | 2023 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 44 | United States | 11.6% | 2025 | North America |
| 45 | Nigeria | 11.9% | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 46 | Italy | 12% | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 47 | Philippines | 12.4% | 2023 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 48 | Thailand | 12.4% | 2025 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 49 | France | 12.6% | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 50 | Serbia | 12.7% | 2025 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 51 | New Zealand | 12.8% | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 52 | Tanzania | 12.8% | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 53 | Togo | 13% | 2022 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 54 | Cyprus | 13.2% | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 55 | Guinea-Bissau | 13.2% | 2022 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 56 | Canada | 13.3% | 2025 | North America |
| 57 | Austria | 13.4% | 2025 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 58 | Chile | 13.4% | 2025 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 59 | Uganda | 13.8% | 2021 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 60 | Mauritius | 13.9% | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 61 | Uruguay | 14% | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 62 | Benin | 14.2% | 2022 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 63 | Montenegro | 14.2% | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 64 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 14.3% | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 65 | United Kingdom | 14.4% | 2025 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 66 | Georgia | 14.7% | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 67 | Lithuania | 14.9% | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 68 | Myanmar | 15% | 2020 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 69 | Panama | 15.1% | 2025 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 70 | Argentina | 15.2% | 2025 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 71 | Israel | 15.3% | 2024 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 72 | Rwanda | 15.3% | 2025 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 73 | Bhutan | 15.3% | 2025 | South Asia |
| 74 | Bangladesh | 15.4% | 2024 | South Asia |
| 75 | Niger | 15.7% | 2022 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 76 | Trinidad and Tobago | 15.8% | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 77 | Mexico | 16.2% | 2025 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 78 | Saudi Arabia | 16.4% | 2025 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 79 | Ukraine | 16.5% | 2017 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 80 | Aruba | 16.6% | 2010 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 81 | Seychelles | 16.9% | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 82 | Romania | 17% | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 83 | Sri Lanka | 17.2% | 2024 | South Asia |
| 84 | Curacao | 17.5% | 2020 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 85 | Ethiopia | 17.5% | 2021 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 86 | Ecuador | 17.7% | 2025 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 87 | Suriname | 18.2% | 2016 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 88 | Kenya | 18.5% | 2021 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 89 | Paraguay | 18.6% | 2017 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 90 | Brazil | 18.7% | 2025 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 91 | Cote d'Ivoire | 18.8% | 2022 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 92 | Brunei Darussalam | 19% | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 93 | Mozambique | 19.2% | 2022 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 94 | Kyrgyz Republic | 19.3% | 2023 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 95 | Costa Rica | 19.4% | 2025 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 96 | North Macedonia | 19.5% | 2025 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 97 | Puerto Rico (US) | 19.5% | 2020 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 98 | Jamaica | 19.7% | 2023 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 99 | Grenada | 20.1% | 2023 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 100 | Armenia | 20.2% | 2023 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 101 | Gabon | 20.2% | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 102 | El Salvador | 20.5% | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 103 | Antigua and Barbuda | 20.8% | 2018 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 104 | Fiji | 20.8% | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 105 | Algeria | 20.9% | 2017 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 106 | Albania | 21% | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 107 | Haiti | 21.1% | 2012 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 108 | Comoros | 21.2% | 2021 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 109 | Indonesia | 21.4% | 2023 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 110 | Colombia | 22% | 2025 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 111 | Lao PDR | 22.5% | 2022 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 112 | Tunisia | 22.6% | 2023 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 113 | Peru | 22.8% | 2022 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 114 | Turkiye | 22.9% | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 115 | Cameroon | 23.2% | 2021 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 116 | Lebanon | 23.5% | 2019 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 117 | Egypt, Arab Rep. | 23.8% | 2024 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 118 | Ghana | 23.9% | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 119 | Guatemala | 24% | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 120 | Iran, Islamic Rep. | 24.3% | 2024 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 121 | Madagascar | 24.3% | 2022 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 122 | Burkina Faso | 24.5% | 2025 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 123 | Nicaragua | 24.5% | 2014 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 124 | Dominican Republic | 24.7% | 2025 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 125 | New Caledonia | 24.7% | 2023 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 126 | Belize | 24.9% | 2019 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 127 | Angola | 24.9% | 2025 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 128 | Oman | 25.5% | 2022 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 129 | St. Lucia | 25.5% | 2025 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 130 | India | 25.6% | 2025 | South Asia |
| 131 | Tonga | 25.6% | 2023 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 132 | West Bank and Gaza | 25.8% | 2025 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 133 | Sierra Leone | 25.9% | 2018 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 134 | Maldives | 26.3% | 2019 | South Asia |
| 135 | Zambia | 26.7% | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 136 | Papua New Guinea | 27.7% | 2022 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 137 | Cabo Verde | 28% | 2019 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 138 | Pakistan | 28.5% | 2025 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 139 | Micronesia, Fed. Sts. | 28.7% | 2014 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 140 | Barbados | 29% | 2016 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 141 | Honduras | 29% | 2025 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 142 | Timor-Leste | 29.1% | 2022 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 143 | Vanuatu | 29.3% | 2025 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 144 | Jordan | 29.4% | 2024 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 145 | Kosovo | 30% | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 146 | Samoa | 30.1% | 2022 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 147 | Mali | 30.1% | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 148 | Congo, Dem. Rep. | 31.4% | 2020 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 149 | Namibia | 31.9% | 2018 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 150 | Guinea | 34.3% | 2019 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 151 | Tuvalu | 34.3% | 2022 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 152 | South Africa | 34.6% | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 153 | Nepal | 34.8% | 2017 | South Asia |
| 154 | Senegal | 35.2% | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 155 | Morocco | 35.3% | 2014 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 156 | Kiribati | 35.4% | 2023 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 157 | Zimbabwe | 36% | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 158 | Gambia, The | 36.5% | 2025 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 159 | Eswatini | 36.5% | 2023 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 160 | Iraq | 36.9% | 2021 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 161 | Venezuela, RB | 37.1% | 2020 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 162 | Lesotho | 38% | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 163 | Botswana | 38% | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 164 | Malawi | 39.4% | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 165 | Liberia | 39.9% | 2017 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 166 | Marshall Islands | 40% | 2021 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 167 | Tajikistan | 41.3% | 2016 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 168 | Chad | 42.3% | 2022 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 169 | Afghanistan | 43.8% | 2021 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 170 | Sao Tome and Principe | 43.8% | 2017 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 171 | Djibouti | 44% | 2025 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 172 | Mauritania | 44.1% | 2019 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 173 | Yemen, Rep. | 44.8% | 2014 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 174 | Guyana | 44.8% | 2021 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 175 | Sudan | 46.5% | 2022 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 176 | Naoero | 50.4% | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 177 | Somalia, Fed. Rep. | 51% | 2022 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 178 | Belarus | 65.7% | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
More on youth not in work or study
- Countries With the Highest Youth Not in Work or Study
- Youth not in work or study by country: trend over time and what it goes with
Related rankings
- Countries With the Lowest Active Labour Market Spending
- Countries With the Lowest Unemployment Benefit Spending
- Countries With the Lowest Retirement Age, Men
- Countries With the Lowest Retirement Age, Women
- Countries With the Lowest Hours Worked
- Countries With the Lowest Informal Employment
- Countries With the Lowest Unemployment
- Countries With the Lowest Female Labor Participation
A ranking describes countries, not the people in them, and a high or low place does not by itself say why. All country rankings.