Unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) was 14.6% in 2025. ▬ Flat
Unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
In 2025, unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland stood at 14.6%.
That represents a change of up 2.3% on the previous year and down 3.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland peaked at 22.1% in 2012 and was at its lowest, 10.2%, in 2001.
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 80th of 187 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 13.8% | — |
| 1992 | 15.6% | +12.8% |
| 1993 | 17.4% | +11.5% |
| 1994 | 16.3% | -6.5% |
| 1995 | 15.5% | -5.0% |
| 1996 | 14.8% | -4.0% |
| 1997 | 13.5% | -9.2% |
| 1998 | 12.3% | -8.5% |
| 1999 | 12.3% | -0.2% |
| 2000 | 11.9% | -3.4% |
| 2001 | 10.2% | -14.2% |
| 2002 | 10.8% | +5.8% |
| 2003 | 11.2% | +4.2% |
| 2004 | 10.6% | -5.5% |
| 2005 | 13.1% | +22.9% |
| 2006 | 14.2% | +9.0% |
| 2007 | 14.6% | +2.7% |
| 2008 | 15.4% | +5.1% |
| 2009 | 19.5% | +26.9% |
| 2010 | 20.3% | +4.4% |
| 2011 | 21.7% | +6.7% |
| 2012 | 22.1% | +1.9% |
| 2013 | 20.9% | -5.3% |
| 2014 | 17.5% | -16.4% |
| 2015 | 15.2% | -13.3% |
| 2016 | 13.2% | -13.0% |
| 2017 | 12.5% | -5.2% |
| 2018 | 11.6% | -7.0% |
| 2019 | 10.7% | -8.2% |
| 2020 | 13.4% | +25.0% |
| 2021 | 12.9% | -3.5% |
| 2022 | 10.6% | -17.9% |
| 2023 | 11.9% | +12.8% |
| 2024 | 14.3% | +19.9% |
| 2025 | 14.6% | +2.3% |
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland compared with similar countries
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland's 14.6% is above the median for high income countries, which is 13.8%, 1.1× the median. (62 countries reporting)
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland's 14.6% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 14.4%, 1.0× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 14.6% | 12.3% | 17.4% | 9 |
| 2000s | 13.1% | 10.2% | 19.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 16.6% | 10.7% | 22.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 13.0% | 10.6% | 14.6% | 6 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
More work & labour data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 22,956 (2027)
- Labour force participation rate (ILO modelled estimates) 60.91 (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 35,770 (2027)
- Unemployment rate (ILO modelled estimates) 4.93 (2027)
- Labour dependency ratio 1.07 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2021 international $ at PPP 111,361 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2015 US $ 100,223 (2027)
- Employment-to-population ratio (ILO modelled estimates) 57.91 (2027)
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+) 1.47 % change on previous year (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+), annual growth rate 0.4352 % change on previous year (2027)
All data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland →
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- Unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was 14.6% 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 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 22.1% in 2012.
- What is the lowest unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 10.2% in 2001.
- How does United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank for unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24)?
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 80th out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) rising or falling in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 3.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 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.