Unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages) … national in Ecuador
Ecuador: Unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages) … national was 7.8% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) in Ecuador, 1996–2025
Source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
In 2025, unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) in Ecuador stood at 7.8%.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 7.4% on the previous year and down 7.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) in Ecuador peaked at 23.5% in 1998 and was at its lowest, 7.1%, in 2007.
Ecuador ranks 125th of 160 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 28 years of available data.
Unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages) … national in Ecuador, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 20.0% | — |
| 1997 | 18.9% | -5.7% |
| 1998 | 23.5% | +24.3% |
| 2000 | 9.7% | -58.6% |
| 2001 | 8.4% | -13.8% |
| 2003 | 10.9% | +29.9% |
| 2004 | 10.3% | -5.1% |
| 2005 | 8.0% | -23.1% |
| 2006 | 8.0% | +0.6% |
| 2007 | 7.1% | -10.8% |
| 2008 | 9.3% | +29.8% |
| 2009 | 9.9% | +7.0% |
| 2010 | 9.4% | -5.0% |
| 2011 | 9.1% | -3.1% |
| 2012 | 8.8% | -3.5% |
| 2013 | 8.1% | -8.3% |
| 2014 | 8.6% | +6.4% |
| 2015 | 8.4% | -2.2% |
| 2016 | 9.9% | +18.3% |
| 2017 | 8.2% | -17.6% |
| 2018 | 7.7% | -6.6% |
| 2019 | 8.5% | +11.3% |
| 2020 | 11.0% | +29.6% |
| 2021 | 9.0% | -18.8% |
| 2022 | 8.2% | -8.8% |
| 2023 | 7.7% | -6.4% |
| 2024 | 8.4% | +9.5% |
| 2025 | 7.8% | -7.4% |
Ecuador compared with similar countries
- Ecuador's 7.8% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 15.9%, 49% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
- Ecuador's 7.8% is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 13.7%, 57% of the median. (30 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 20.8% | 18.9% | 23.5% | 3 |
| 2000s | 9.1% | 7.1% | 10.9% | 9 |
| 2010s | 8.7% | 7.7% | 9.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 8.7% | 7.7% | 11.0% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Ecuador
More work & labour data for Ecuador
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.578 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.567 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.589 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.04 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 1.13 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 17,174 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 5,794 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 9,543 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 9,549 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 19,092 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) in Ecuador?
- Unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) in Ecuador was 7.8% in 2025, according to Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) recorded in Ecuador?
- The highest recorded value was 23.5% in 1998.
- What is the lowest unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) recorded in Ecuador?
- The lowest recorded value was 7.1% in 2007.
- How does Ecuador rank for unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24)?
- Ecuador ranks 125th out of 160 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) rising or falling in Ecuador?
- Over the last ten years it is down 7.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Ecuador data come from?
- The figures come from Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) (national estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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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. Definitions of labor force and unemployment differ by country.