Youth unemployment rate in Korea, Democratic People's Republic of
Korea, Democratic People's Republic of: Youth unemployment rate was 7.9% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Youth unemployment rate in Korea, Democratic People's Republic of, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for youth unemployment rate in Korea, Democratic People's Republic of is 7.9%, measured in 2025.
That represents a change of up 1.7% on the previous year and up 1.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, youth unemployment rate in Korea, Democratic People's Republic of peaked at 8.5% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 5.5%, in 1991.
That places Korea, Democratic People's Republic of 138th out of 186 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
Youth unemployment rate in Korea, Democratic People's Republic of, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 5.5% | — |
| 1992 | 5.7% | +2.4% |
| 1993 | 6.0% | +5.4% |
| 1994 | 6.3% | +5.7% |
| 1995 | 6.5% | +2.0% |
| 1996 | 6.6% | +2.6% |
| 1997 | 6.9% | +4.5% |
| 1998 | 7.5% | +8.6% |
| 1999 | 8.0% | +7.2% |
| 2000 | 8.0% | -0.5% |
| 2001 | 8.1% | +0.7% |
| 2002 | 8.0% | -0.8% |
| 2003 | 8.0% | +0.6% |
| 2004 | 8.0% | -1.0% |
| 2005 | 7.9% | -0.9% |
| 2006 | 7.8% | -0.8% |
| 2007 | 7.7% | -1.2% |
| 2008 | 7.6% | -2.2% |
| 2009 | 7.6% | +0.3% |
| 2010 | 7.5% | -1.5% |
| 2011 | 7.7% | +2.6% |
| 2012 | 7.6% | -1.0% |
| 2013 | 7.7% | +1.5% |
| 2014 | 7.6% | -0.8% |
| 2015 | 7.8% | +1.7% |
| 2016 | 8.1% | +4.3% |
| 2017 | 7.9% | -2.1% |
| 2018 | 7.8% | -2.0% |
| 2019 | 7.6% | -2.1% |
| 2020 | 8.5% | +11.9% |
| 2021 | 8.1% | -4.8% |
| 2022 | 7.6% | -6.0% |
| 2023 | 7.6% | -0.4% |
| 2024 | 7.8% | +2.5% |
| 2025 | 7.9% | +1.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 6.6% | 5.5% | 8.0% | 9 |
| 2000s | 7.9% | 7.6% | 8.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 7.7% | 7.5% | 8.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 7.9% | 7.6% | 8.5% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Korea, Democratic People's Republic of
- 135 Kyrgyzstan 8.2% compare
- 136 Trinidad and Tobago 8.2% compare
- 137 Ecuador 8.2% compare
- 139 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 7.8% compare
- 140 El Salvador 7.8% compare
- 141 Russian Federation 7.6% compare
More work & labour data for Korea, Democratic People's Republic of
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 17,790 (2027)
- Labour force participation rate (ILO modelled estimates) 82.13 (2027)
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 3,871 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2021 international $ at PPP 3,086 (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+), annual growth rate 0.2604 % change on previous year (2027)
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+) 0.3313 % change on previous year (2027)
- Employment-to-population ratio (ILO modelled estimates) 79.21 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2015 US $ 931.04 (2027)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 77.7% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages) 89.3% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is youth unemployment rate in Korea, Democratic People's Republic of?
- Youth unemployment rate in Korea, Democratic People's Republic of was 7.9% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest youth unemployment rate recorded in Korea, Democratic People's Republic of?
- The highest recorded value was 8.5% in 2020.
- What is the lowest youth unemployment rate recorded in Korea, Democratic People's Republic of?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.5% in 1991.
- How does Korea, Democratic People's Republic of rank for youth unemployment rate?
- Korea, Democratic People's Republic of ranks 138th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is youth unemployment rate rising or falling in Korea, Democratic People's Republic of?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Korea, Democratic People's Republic of data come from?
- The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Youth unemployment rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Share of the labor force aged 15-24 without work, but actively looking for a job and available to start soon.