Unemployment rate for young people in Canada
Canada: Unemployment rate for young people was 13.8 in 2025. ▼ Falling
Unemployment rate for young people in Canada, 1991–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for unemployment rate for young people in Canada is 13.8, measured in 2025.
The figure is up 3.9% on the previous year and up 8.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment rate for young people in Canada peaked at 20.12 in 2020 and was at its lowest, 10.08, in 2022.
Canada ranks 88th of 186 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Unemployment rate for young people in Canada, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 15.83 | — |
| 1992 | 17.21 | +8.7% |
| 1993 | 17.19 | -0.1% |
| 1994 | 15.89 | -7.5% |
| 1995 | 14.83 | -6.7% |
| 1996 | 15.4 | +3.8% |
| 1997 | 16.25 | +5.5% |
| 1998 | 15.14 | -6.9% |
| 1999 | 14.05 | -7.2% |
| 2000 | 12.67 | -9.8% |
| 2001 | 12.87 | +1.6% |
| 2002 | 13.62 | +5.8% |
| 2003 | 13.62 | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 13.44 | -1.3% |
| 2005 | 12.39 | -7.8% |
| 2006 | 11.62 | -6.3% |
| 2007 | 11.02 | -5.1% |
| 2008 | 11.38 | +3.2% |
| 2009 | 15.06 | +32.3% |
| 2010 | 14.57 | -3.2% |
| 2011 | 13.91 | -4.5% |
| 2012 | 14.04 | +0.9% |
| 2013 | 13.24 | -5.6% |
| 2014 | 13.2 | -0.3% |
| 2015 | 12.76 | -3.4% |
| 2016 | 12.6 | -1.3% |
| 2017 | 11.24 | -10.8% |
| 2018 | 10.71 | -4.7% |
| 2019 | 10.74 | +0.3% |
| 2020 | 20.12 | +87.3% |
| 2021 | 13.56 | -32.6% |
| 2022 | 10.08 | -25.6% |
| 2023 | 10.81 | +7.2% |
| 2024 | 13.28 | +22.9% |
| 2025 | 13.8 | +3.9% |
Canada compared with similar countries
- Canada's 13.8 is below the median for high income countries, which is 13.81, 100% of the median. (62 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Unemployment rate for young people in Canada changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +87.3% | 10.74 | 20.12 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 15.76 | 14.05 | 17.21 | 9 |
| 2000s | 12.77 | 11.02 | 15.06 | 10 |
| 2010s | 12.7 | 10.71 | 14.57 | 10 |
| 2020s | 13.61 | 10.08 | 20.12 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Canada
More work & labour data for Canada
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual 0.3281 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth 0.3334 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth 0.3231 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.29 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.6552 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 39,234 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 5,715 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 26,798 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 26,814 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 53,612 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment rate for young people in Canada?
- Unemployment rate for young people in Canada was 13.8 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest unemployment rate for young people recorded in Canada?
- The highest recorded value was 20.12 in 2020.
- What is the lowest unemployment rate for young people recorded in Canada?
- The lowest recorded value was 10.08 in 2022.
- How does Canada rank for unemployment rate for young people?
- Canada ranks 88th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment rate for young people rising or falling in Canada?
- Over the last ten years it is up 8.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Canada data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Unemployment rate for young people. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 35 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).