Unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) in East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income)
East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income): Unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) was 13.1% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) in East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income), 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income) recorded 13.1% for unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) in 2025. That is the highest value across all 35 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 3.2% on the previous year and up 24.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) in East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income) peaked at 13.1% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 5.0%, in 1991.
East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income) ranks 26th of 47 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
Unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) in East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income), year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 5.0% | — |
| 1992 | 5.0% | +0.7% |
| 1993 | 5.6% | +11.3% |
| 1994 | 6.5% | +16.2% |
| 1995 | 6.8% | +4.9% |
| 1996 | 7.2% | +5.3% |
| 1997 | 7.5% | +4.4% |
| 1998 | 8.0% | +6.7% |
| 1999 | 8.4% | +5.9% |
| 2000 | 8.4% | -0.3% |
| 2001 | 9.2% | +9.7% |
| 2002 | 10.0% | +8.2% |
| 2003 | 10.4% | +4.3% |
| 2004 | 10.5% | +1.1% |
| 2005 | 10.9% | +3.7% |
| 2006 | 10.6% | -2.6% |
| 2007 | 10.3% | -3.2% |
| 2008 | 10.3% | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 10.5% | +1.7% |
| 2010 | 9.9% | -5.3% |
| 2011 | 10.1% | +1.6% |
| 2012 | 9.8% | -2.3% |
| 2013 | 10.0% | +1.4% |
| 2014 | 10.2% | +2.1% |
| 2015 | 10.5% | +3.3% |
| 2016 | 10.3% | -1.9% |
| 2017 | 10.1% | -2.4% |
| 2018 | 9.7% | -4.1% |
| 2019 | 9.9% | +2.0% |
| 2020 | 11.5% | +16.1% |
| 2021 | 11.5% | +0.7% |
| 2022 | 12.6% | +9.3% |
| 2023 | 12.9% | +2.7% |
| 2024 | 12.7% | -2.2% |
| 2025 | 13.1% | +3.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 6.7% | 5.0% | 8.4% | 9 |
| 2000s | 10.1% | 8.4% | 10.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 10.0% | 9.7% | 10.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 12.4% | 11.5% | 13.1% | 6 |
Countries ranked near East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income)
More work & labour data for East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) 72.4% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) 65.4% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) 43.3% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) 50.0% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) 46.9% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 66.4% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages) 72.9% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) 79.2% (2025)
- Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) 80.8% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 58.3% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) in East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income)?
- Unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) in East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income) was 13.1% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) recorded in East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income)?
- The highest recorded value was 13.1% in 2025.
- What is the lowest unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) recorded in East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income)?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.0% in 1991.
- How does East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income) rank for unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24)?
- East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income) ranks 26th out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) rising or falling in East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 24.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income) data come from?
- The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) (modeled ILO estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Youth unemployment refers to the share of the labor force ages 15-24 without work but available for and seeking employment.