Share of youth not in education, employment or training, male (% of) in Least developed countries
Least developed countries: Share of youth not in education, employment or training, male (% of) was 16.8% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Share of youth not in education, employment or training, male (% of) in Least developed countries, 2005–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
Least developed countries recorded 16.8% for share of youth not in education, employment or training, male (% of) in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.3% on the previous year and up 9.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of youth not in education, employment or training, male (% of) in Least developed countries peaked at 17.8% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 12.8%, in 2005.
That places Least developed countries 11th out of 47 groups with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 21 years of available data.
Share of youth not in education, employment or training, male (% of) in Least developed countries, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 12.8% | — |
| 2006 | 12.9% | +0.9% |
| 2007 | 13.3% | +3.5% |
| 2008 | 13.8% | +3.5% |
| 2009 | 14.2% | +3.2% |
| 2010 | 14.5% | +2.1% |
| 2011 | 14.5% | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 14.9% | +2.7% |
| 2013 | 14.9% | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 15.2% | +1.7% |
| 2015 | 15.5% | +1.8% |
| 2016 | 15.8% | +2.1% |
| 2017 | 16.1% | +2.0% |
| 2018 | 16.2% | +0.8% |
| 2019 | 16.4% | +1.4% |
| 2020 | 17.6% | +7.2% |
| 2021 | 17.8% | +0.7% |
| 2022 | 17.4% | -1.9% |
| 2023 | 16.7% | -4.3% |
| 2024 | 16.8% | +0.8% |
| 2025 | 16.8% | +0.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 13.4% | 12.8% | 14.2% | 5 |
| 2010s | 15.4% | 14.5% | 16.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 17.2% | 16.7% | 17.8% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Least developed countries
- 8 South Africa 33.7% compare
- 9 Lesotho 32.7% compare
- 10 Vanuatu 30.8% compare
- 11 South Sudan 30.5% compare
- 12 Sudan 30.1% compare
- 13 Barbados 30.1% compare
- 14 Afghanistan 28.7% compare
More work & labour data for Least developed countries
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) 45.1% (2025)
- Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) 73.8% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) 74.8% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) 63.5% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) 53.9% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 54.6% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 52.7% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages) 65.2% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) 76.2% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) 49.5% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of youth not in education, employment or training, male (% of) in Least developed countries?
- Share of youth not in education, employment or training, male (% of) in Least developed countries was 16.8% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest share of youth not in education, employment or training, male (% of) recorded in Least developed countries?
- The highest recorded value was 17.8% in 2021.
- What is the lowest share of youth not in education, employment or training, male (% of) recorded in Least developed countries?
- The lowest recorded value was 12.8% in 2005.
- How does Least developed countries rank for share of youth not in education, employment or training, male (% of)?
- Least developed countries ranks 11th out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is share of youth not in education, employment or training, male (% of) rising or falling in Least developed countries?
- Over the last ten years it is up 9.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Least developed countries data come from?
- The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Share of youth not in education, employment or training, male (% of male youth population) (modeled ILO estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
The share of youth not in education, employment or training (also known as “the NEET rate”) conveys the number of young persons not in education, employment or training as a percentage of the total youth population. Youth not in education are those who were neither enrolled in school nor in a formal training program (e.g. vocational training). For the purposes of this indicator, youth is defined as all persons between the ages of 15 and 24 (inclusive).