Share of youth not in education, employment or training, total in European Union
European Union: Share of youth not in education, employment or training, total was 9.9% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Share of youth not in education, employment or training, total in European Union, 1987–2024
Source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO). Measured in % of youth population.
Analysis
In 2024, share of youth not in education, employment or training, total in European Union stood at 9.9%.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.5% on the previous year and down 24.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of youth not in education, employment or training, total in European Union peaked at 16.5% in 1987 and was at its lowest, 9.9%, in 2023.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 34 years of available data.
Share of youth not in education, employment or training, total in European Union, year by year
| Year | % of youth population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1987 | 16.5% | — |
| 1988 | 15.5% | -6.2% |
| 1989 | 14.4% | -7.0% |
| 1990 | 13.2% | -8.7% |
| 1991 | 12.8% | -2.8% |
| 1996 | 14.6% | +13.8% |
| 1997 | 14.6% | +0.4% |
| 1998 | 15.7% | +7.4% |
| 1999 | 13.5% | -14.1% |
| 2000 | 13.2% | -2.6% |
| 2001 | 14.0% | +6.8% |
| 2002 | 13.1% | -6.5% |
| 2003 | 13.2% | +0.3% |
| 2004 | 13.1% | -0.5% |
| 2005 | 13.7% | +4.8% |
| 2006 | 12.3% | -10.3% |
| 2007 | 11.5% | -6.9% |
| 2008 | 11.3% | -1.3% |
| 2009 | 13.0% | +14.8% |
| 2010 | 12.9% | -1.0% |
| 2011 | 13.1% | +1.5% |
| 2012 | 13.2% | +1.2% |
| 2013 | 13.5% | +2.3% |
| 2014 | 13.1% | -3.4% |
| 2015 | 12.5% | -4.2% |
| 2016 | 12.1% | -3.7% |
| 2017 | 11.4% | -5.1% |
| 2018 | 10.9% | -4.6% |
| 2019 | 10.5% | -3.6% |
| 2020 | 11.5% | +9.0% |
| 2021 | 11.2% | -2.4% |
| 2022 | 10.1% | -9.5% |
| 2023 | 9.9% | -2.7% |
| 2024 | 9.9% | +0.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 15.5% | 14.4% | 16.5% | 3 |
| 1990s | 14.1% | 12.8% | 15.7% | 6 |
| 2000s | 12.9% | 11.3% | 14.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 12.3% | 10.5% | 13.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 10.5% | 9.9% | 11.5% | 5 |
Countries ranked near European Union
More work & labour data for European Union
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 51.6% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) 38.0% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) 43.5% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) 40.8% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 70.5% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) 79.8% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages) 75.2% (2025)
- Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) 81.9% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) 57.3% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) 63.3% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of youth not in education, employment or training, total in European Union?
- Share of youth not in education, employment or training, total in European Union was 9.9% in 2024, according to Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest share of youth not in education, employment or training, total recorded in European Union?
- The highest recorded value was 16.5% in 1987.
- What is the lowest share of youth not in education, employment or training, total recorded in European Union?
- The lowest recorded value was 9.9% in 2023.
- How does European Union rank for share of youth not in education, employment or training, total?
- European Union ranks 18th out of 19 groups with data for 2024.
- Is share of youth not in education, employment or training, total rising or falling in European Union?
- Over the last ten years it is down 24.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this European Union data come from?
- The figures come from Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Share of youth not in education, employment or training, total (% of youth population). 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).