SDG indicator 8.b.1: Existence of a developed and operationalized national strategy for youth employment by country
SDG 8.b.1 tracks whether a country has a national youth employment strategy, as a distinct strategy or as part of a national employment strategy, and how far it has been implemented. Scores run from 0, meaning no strategy or steps taken, through 1 (under development) and 2 (formally adopted), to 3 (fully operational).
What the numbers show
SDG indicator 8.b.1: Existence of a developed and operationalized national strategy for youth employment is currently reported for 75 countries. The highest value is 3 in New Zealand; the lowest is 1 in Cameroon.
The median across all reporting countries is 3, and the mean is 2.47.
The gap between the highest and lowest reporting country is a factor of about 3.
Over the past decade 13 countries rose and 7 fell. The largest increase was in Armenia (up 200.0%), and the largest decrease in Sri Lanka (down 50.0%).
SDG indicator 8.b.1: Existence of a developed and operationalized: full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Zealand | 3 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 1 | Italy | 3 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Lithuania | 3 | 2025 | — | flat |
| 1 | Luxembourg | 3 | 2025 | — | flat |
| 1 | Latvia | 3 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Morocco | 3 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Moldova | 3 | 2025 | up 50.0% | rising |
| 1 | Mexico | 3 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Malta | 3 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Montenegro | 3 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Malaysia | 3 | 2025 | — | flat |
| 1 | Nigeria | 3 | 2025 | up 50.0% | rising |
| 1 | Netherlands | 3 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Armenia | 3 | 2025 | up 200.0% | volatile |
| 1 | Philippines | 3 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Portugal | 3 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Russia | 3 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | El Salvador | 3 | 2025 | up 50.0% | rising |
| 1 | Serbia | 3 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Slovakia | 3 | 2025 | — | falling |
| 1 | Slovenia | 3 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Seychelles | 3 | 2025 | up 50.0% | rising |
| 1 | Tunisia | 3 | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 1 | Turkey | 3 | 2025 | up 50.0% | rising |
| 1 | Uruguay | 3 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | South Africa | 3 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Hungary | 3 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | China | 3 | 2025 | up 50.0% | rising |
| 1 | Belarus | 3 | 2025 | up 50.0% | rising |
| 1 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 3 | 2025 | — | volatile |
| 1 | Czechia | 3 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Germany | 3 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Ecuador | 3 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Spain | 3 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Estonia | 3 | 2025 | — | flat |
| 1 | France | 3 | 2025 | — | flat |
| 1 | United Kingdom | 3 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Belgium | 3 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Georgia | 3 | 2025 | up 200.0% | rising |
| 1 | Azerbaijan | 3 | 2025 | up 50.0% | rising |
| 1 | Guatemala | 3 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 42 | Indonesia | 2 | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 42 | Chile | 2 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 42 | Somalia | 2 | 2025 | — | rising |
| 42 | Brazil | 2 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 42 | Sao Tome and Principe | 2 | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 42 | Bolivia | 2 | 2025 | — | rising |
| 42 | Zimbabwe | 2 | 2025 | up 100.0% | rising |
| 42 | Thailand | 2 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 42 | Zambia | 2 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 42 | Tajikistan | 2 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 42 | Argentina | 2 | 2025 | — | volatile |
| 42 | Vietnam | 2 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 42 | Australia | 2 | 2025 | down 33.3% | falling |
| 42 | Turkmenistan | 2 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 42 | East Timor | 2 | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 42 | Paraguay | 2 | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 42 | Congo | 2 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 42 | Peru | 2 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 42 | Colombia | 2 | 2025 | down 33.3% | falling |
| 42 | Comoros | 2 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 42 | Costa Rica | 2 | 2025 | up 100.0% | rising |
| 42 | Namibia | 2 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 42 | Mauritius | 2 | 2025 | up 100.0% | rising |
| 42 | Madagascar | 2 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 42 | Japan | 2 | 2025 | down 33.3% | falling |
| 42 | Laos | 2 | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 42 | South Korea | 2 | 2025 | down 33.3% | falling |
| 42 | Cambodia | 2 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 70 | Cook Islands | 1 | 2025 | unchanged | volatile |
| 70 | Kyrgyzstan | 1 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 70 | Saint Kitts and Nevis | 1 | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 70 | Sri Lanka | 1 | 2025 | down 50.0% | falling |
| 70 | Ethiopia | 1 | 2025 | down 50.0% | falling |
| 70 | Cameroon | 1 | 2025 | down 50.0% | falling |
About this data
SDG 8.b.1 tracks whether a country has a national youth employment strategy, as a distinct strategy or as part of a national employment strategy, and how far it has been implemented. Scores run from 0, meaning no strategy or steps taken, through 1 (under development) and 2 (formally adopted), to 3 (fully operational).