Share of youth not in education, employment or training, total (% of) in Africa Western and Central
Africa Western and Central: Share of youth not in education, employment or training, total (% of) was 20.0% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Share of youth not in education, employment or training, total (% of) in Africa Western and Central, 2005–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
The most recent figure for share of youth not in education, employment or training, total (% of) in Africa Western and Central is 20.0%, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.2% on the previous year and down 2.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of youth not in education, employment or training, total (% of) in Africa Western and Central peaked at 21.4% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 18.1%, in 2005.
That places Africa Western and Central 26th out of 47 groups with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 21 years of available data.
Share of youth not in education, employment or training, total (% of) in Africa Western and Central, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 18.1% | — |
| 2006 | 18.3% | +0.8% |
| 2007 | 18.3% | +0.2% |
| 2008 | 18.3% | +0.2% |
| 2009 | 18.2% | -0.8% |
| 2010 | 18.2% | +0.1% |
| 2011 | 18.4% | +0.8% |
| 2012 | 18.7% | +2.0% |
| 2013 | 19.0% | +1.7% |
| 2014 | 19.7% | +3.5% |
| 2015 | 20.5% | +4.0% |
| 2016 | 21.0% | +2.3% |
| 2017 | 20.8% | -0.6% |
| 2018 | 20.9% | +0.2% |
| 2019 | 21.1% | +0.9% |
| 2020 | 21.4% | +1.5% |
| 2021 | 20.7% | -3.3% |
| 2022 | 19.9% | -3.8% |
| 2023 | 19.7% | -0.8% |
| 2024 | 20.0% | +1.1% |
| 2025 | 20.0% | +0.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 18.2% | 18.1% | 18.3% | 5 |
| 2010s | 19.8% | 18.2% | 21.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 20.3% | 19.7% | 21.4% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Africa Western and Central
More work & labour data for Africa Western and Central
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages) 73.3% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 67.3% (2025)
- Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) 87.9% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) 77.3% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) 72.3% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) 49.9% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 68.5% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) 52.2% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) 54.5% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) 78.0% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of youth not in education, employment or training, total (% of) in Africa Western and Central?
- Share of youth not in education, employment or training, total (% of) in Africa Western and Central was 20.0% 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, total (% of) recorded in Africa Western and Central?
- The highest recorded value was 21.4% in 2020.
- What is the lowest share of youth not in education, employment or training, total (% of) recorded in Africa Western and Central?
- The lowest recorded value was 18.1% in 2005.
- How does Africa Western and Central rank for share of youth not in education, employment or training, total (% of)?
- Africa Western and Central ranks 26th out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is share of youth not in education, employment or training, total (% of) rising or falling in Africa Western and Central?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Africa Western and Central 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, total (% of 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).