North America vs Sri Lanka: Unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages) … national
North America
10.4%
in 2025
Sri Lanka
21.8%
in 2024
North America rank
29th
Sri Lanka rank
29th
Unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages) … national over time
- North America
- Sri Lanka
How they compare
Sri Lanka currently reports 21.8% against 10.4% in North America, a difference of 11.4%.
That makes Sri Lanka's figure about 2.1 times North America's.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 30 shared years of data; in 1993 it was Sri Lanka ahead.
North America ranks 29th and Sri Lanka ranks 29th of 30 groups.
Sri Lanka has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | North America | Sri Lanka | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 12.1% | 31.9% | 19.9% | Sri Lanka |
| 2000s | 12.1% | 23.2% | 11.1% | Sri Lanka |
| 2010s | 12.9% | 19.3% | 6.4% | Sri Lanka |
| 2020s | 10.3% | 23.6% | 13.4% | Sri Lanka |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24), North America or Sri Lanka?
- Sri Lanka, at 21.8% against 10.4% in North America as of 2024.
- What is the difference in unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) between North America and Sri Lanka?
- 11.4%, with Sri Lanka ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for North America and Sri Lanka?
- 30 years are reported by both, from 1993 to 2024.
- How do North America and Sri Lanka rank globally for unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24)?
- North America ranks 29th and Sri Lanka ranks 29th of 30 groups.
- Where does this data come from?
- Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as Unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) (national estimate). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Youth unemployment refers to the share of the labor force ages 15-24 without work but available for and seeking employment. Definitions of labor force and unemployment differ by country.