Unemployment rate for young people in France

France: Unemployment rate for young people was 18.89 in 2025. ▼ Falling

Latest (2025)
18.89
Change on year
up 1.5%
World rank
57th
of 186 countries
All-time high
28.57
in 1997
All-time low
17.18
in 2003
Years of data
35
1991–2025

Unemployment rate for young people in France, 1991–2025

01020301991200820251991: 19.51992: 21.41993: 25.21994: 28.41995: 26.81996: 27.21997: 28.61998: 25.91999: 26.12000: 20.52001: 17.92002: 18.82003: 17.22004: 19.72005: 21.22006: 22.42007: 19.62008: 19.22009: 242010: 23.62011: 232012: 24.92013: 24.42014: 24.82015: 25.32016: 24.92017: 22.62018: 212019: 19.92020: 20.42021: 19.32022: 17.92023: 17.42024: 18.62025: 18.9

Source: Our World in Data.

Analysis

In 2025, unemployment rate for young people in France stood at 18.89.

That represents a change of up 1.5% on the previous year and down 25.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, unemployment rate for young people in France peaked at 28.57 in 1997 and was at its lowest, 17.18, in 2003.

France ranks 57th 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 France, year by year

Annual values for Unemployment rate for young people in France, 1991 to 2025.
Year Value Change
1991 19.49
1992 21.4 +9.8%
1993 25.2 +17.8%
1994 28.39 +12.7%
1995 26.75 -5.8%
1996 27.23 +1.8%
1997 28.57 +4.9%
1998 25.9 -9.3%
1999 26.07 +0.7%
2000 20.48 -21.4%
2001 17.91 -12.6%
2002 18.85 +5.2%
2003 17.18 -8.9%
2004 19.67 +14.5%
2005 21.23 +7.9%
2006 22.45 +5.8%
2007 19.64 -12.5%
2008 19.21 -2.2%
2009 24.01 +24.9%
2010 23.59 -1.7%
2011 23.02 -2.4%
2012 24.95 +8.4%
2013 24.36 -2.3%
2014 24.83 +1.9%
2015 25.26 +1.7%
2016 24.94 -1.3%
2017 22.57 -9.5%
2018 20.95 -7.2%
2019 19.93 -4.9%
2020 20.4 +2.4%
2021 19.25 -5.6%
2022 17.86 -7.3%
2023 17.42 -2.4%
2024 18.6 +6.8%
2025 18.89 +1.5%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 25.45 19.49 28.57 9
2000s 20.06 17.18 24.01 10
2010s 23.44 19.93 25.26 10
2020s 18.74 17.42 20.4 6

Countries ranked near France

  1. 54 Bahamas 19.25 compare
  2. 55 Argentina 19.19 compare
  3. 56 Ukraine 19.14 compare
  4. 58 Sri Lanka 18.58 compare
  5. 59 South Sudan 18.52 compare
  6. 60 Barbados 18.48 compare

See the full ranking of 186 places →

More work & labour data for France

All data for France →

Frequently asked questions

What is unemployment rate for young people in France?
Unemployment rate for young people in France was 18.89 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
What is the highest unemployment rate for young people recorded in France?
The highest recorded value was 28.57 in 1997.
What is the lowest unemployment rate for young people recorded in France?
The lowest recorded value was 17.18 in 2003.
How does France rank for unemployment rate for young people?
France ranks 57th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
Is unemployment rate for young people rising or falling in France?
Over the last ten years it is down 25.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this France 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.

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Unemployment rate for young people in France. Statizoid, drawing on Our World in Data. Retrieved 23 August 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/unemployment-rate-for-young-people/france/

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About this data

Indicator
Unemployment rate for young people
Source
Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
186 places, 6,496 data points, 1991–2025
Last refreshed