Unemployment, youth male (% of male labor force ages 15-24) in OECD members
OECD members: Unemployment, youth male (% of male labor force ages 15-24) was 11.6% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Unemployment, youth male (% of male labor force ages 15-24) in OECD members, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
The most recent figure for unemployment, youth male (% of male labor force ages 15-24) in OECD members is 11.6%, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.5% on the previous year and down 23.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment, youth male (% of male labor force ages 15-24) in OECD members peaked at 18.3% in 2009 and was at its lowest, 11.2%, in 2023.
That places OECD members 30th out of 47 groups with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Unemployment, youth male (% of male labor force ages 15-24) in OECD members, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 13.1% | — |
| 1992 | 13.7% | +5.1% |
| 1993 | 15.0% | +9.4% |
| 1994 | 15.2% | +1.4% |
| 1995 | 14.9% | -2.3% |
| 1996 | 15.0% | +1.1% |
| 1997 | 14.3% | -4.9% |
| 1998 | 14.5% | +1.2% |
| 1999 | 14.6% | +0.8% |
| 2000 | 13.7% | -6.1% |
| 2001 | 13.7% | +0.3% |
| 2002 | 14.7% | +7.0% |
| 2003 | 15.2% | +3.0% |
| 2004 | 15.0% | -1.1% |
| 2005 | 14.7% | -2.0% |
| 2006 | 13.6% | -7.4% |
| 2007 | 12.9% | -4.9% |
| 2008 | 13.9% | +7.5% |
| 2009 | 18.3% | +32.1% |
| 2010 | 18.3% | -0.0% |
| 2011 | 17.4% | -4.9% |
| 2012 | 17.6% | +0.8% |
| 2013 | 17.4% | -0.9% |
| 2014 | 16.3% | -6.2% |
| 2015 | 15.1% | -7.6% |
| 2016 | 14.2% | -5.8% |
| 2017 | 13.1% | -7.7% |
| 2018 | 12.4% | -5.8% |
| 2019 | 12.5% | +1.0% |
| 2020 | 15.3% | +22.8% |
| 2021 | 13.3% | -13.4% |
| 2022 | 11.4% | -14.4% |
| 2023 | 11.2% | -1.7% |
| 2024 | 11.5% | +2.8% |
| 2025 | 11.6% | +0.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 14.5% | 13.1% | 15.2% | 9 |
| 2000s | 14.6% | 12.9% | 18.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 15.4% | 12.4% | 18.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 12.4% | 11.2% | 15.3% | 6 |
Countries ranked near OECD members
- 27 Cape Verde 24.8% compare
- 28 Montenegro 24.7% compare
- 29 Romania 24.4% compare
- 30 Spain 23.9% compare
- 31 Armenia 23.4% compare
- 32 Lebanon 23.3% compare
- 33 Luxembourg 23.0% compare
More work & labour data for OECD members
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 53.3% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) 60.6% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) 68.2% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) 43.7% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) 50.3% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) 47.1% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) 80.4% (2025)
- Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) 78.8% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 66.8% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages) 73.6% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment, youth male (% of male labor force ages 15-24) in OECD members?
- Unemployment, youth male (% of male labor force ages 15-24) in OECD members was 11.6% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest unemployment, youth male (% of male labor force ages 15-24) recorded in OECD members?
- The highest recorded value was 18.3% in 2009.
- What is the lowest unemployment, youth male (% of male labor force ages 15-24) recorded in OECD members?
- The lowest recorded value was 11.2% in 2023.
- How does OECD members rank for unemployment, youth male (% of male labor force ages 15-24)?
- OECD members ranks 30th out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment, youth male (% of male labor force ages 15-24) rising or falling in OECD members?
- Over the last ten years it is down 23.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this OECD members data come from?
- The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Unemployment, youth male (% of male labor force ages 15-24) (modeled ILO estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 35 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Youth unemployment refers to the share of the labor force ages 15-24 without work but available for and seeking employment.