Unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) in Serbia
Serbia: Unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) was 20.9% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) in Serbia, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
The most recent figure for unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) in Serbia is 20.9%, measured in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 35 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.4% on the previous year and down 51.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) in Serbia peaked at 51.2% in 2012 and was at its lowest, 20.9%, in 2025.
That places Serbia 45th out of 187 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) in Serbia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 29.4% | — |
| 1992 | 29.4% | -0.1% |
| 1993 | 29.4% | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 29.4% | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 29.5% | +0.1% |
| 1996 | 29.2% | -0.9% |
| 1997 | 30.8% | +5.6% |
| 1998 | 30.6% | -0.6% |
| 1999 | 30.3% | -1.0% |
| 2000 | 28.0% | -7.6% |
| 2001 | 28.7% | +2.2% |
| 2002 | 31.3% | +9.3% |
| 2003 | 35.1% | +11.9% |
| 2004 | 41.7% | +19.0% |
| 2005 | 47.1% | +13.0% |
| 2006 | 48.0% | +1.8% |
| 2007 | 43.6% | -9.2% |
| 2008 | 35.1% | -19.6% |
| 2009 | 41.4% | +18.0% |
| 2010 | 46.4% | +12.2% |
| 2011 | 51.2% | +10.2% |
| 2012 | 51.2% | +0.1% |
| 2013 | 49.5% | -3.5% |
| 2014 | 47.6% | -3.7% |
| 2015 | 43.2% | -9.2% |
| 2016 | 35.0% | -19.1% |
| 2017 | 31.9% | -8.7% |
| 2018 | 29.7% | -6.9% |
| 2019 | 27.5% | -7.4% |
| 2020 | 26.6% | -3.2% |
| 2021 | 24.5% | -7.9% |
| 2022 | 23.3% | -5.0% |
| 2023 | 24.1% | +3.7% |
| 2024 | 21.4% | -11.1% |
| 2025 | 20.9% | -2.4% |
Serbia compared with similar countries
- Serbia's 20.9% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 15.8%, 1.3× the median. (53 countries reporting)
- Serbia's 20.9% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 14.4%, 1.5× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 29.8% | 29.2% | 30.8% | 9 |
| 2000s | 38.0% | 28.0% | 48.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 41.3% | 27.5% | 51.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 23.5% | 20.9% | 26.6% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Serbia
More work & labour data for Serbia
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.7737 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.7205 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.8268 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -2.14 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.1128 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 5,121 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 2,326 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 1,850 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 1,852 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 3,702 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) in Serbia?
- Unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) in Serbia was 20.9% 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 Serbia?
- The highest recorded value was 51.2% in 2012.
- What is the lowest unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) recorded in Serbia?
- The lowest recorded value was 20.9% in 2025.
- How does Serbia rank for unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24)?
- Serbia ranks 45th out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) rising or falling in Serbia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 51.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Serbia 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.
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.