Unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) in Europe & Central Asia
Europe & Central Asia: Unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) was 14.6% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) in Europe & Central Asia, 1992–2025
Source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
Europe & Central Asia recorded 14.6% for unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 34 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.5% on the previous year and down 30.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) in Europe & Central Asia peaked at 22.5% in 1997 and was at its lowest, 14.6%, in 2025.
That places Europe & Central Asia 16th out of 29 groups with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 34 years of available data.
Unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) in Europe & Central Asia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1992 | 17.8% | — |
| 1993 | 20.1% | +12.9% |
| 1994 | 21.8% | +8.1% |
| 1995 | 21.9% | +0.6% |
| 1996 | 22.1% | +0.8% |
| 1997 | 22.5% | +1.8% |
| 1998 | 22.1% | -1.5% |
| 1999 | 21.2% | -4.1% |
| 2000 | 18.9% | -11.0% |
| 2001 | 18.6% | -1.6% |
| 2002 | 18.7% | +0.7% |
| 2003 | 19.1% | +2.0% |
| 2004 | 18.9% | -0.8% |
| 2005 | 19.0% | +0.6% |
| 2006 | 18.7% | -1.8% |
| 2007 | 17.1% | -8.4% |
| 2008 | 16.9% | -1.5% |
| 2009 | 20.6% | +22.4% |
| 2010 | 20.9% | +1.3% |
| 2011 | 20.7% | -0.7% |
| 2012 | 21.7% | +4.4% |
| 2013 | 22.0% | +1.8% |
| 2014 | 22.1% | +0.1% |
| 2015 | 20.9% | -5.2% |
| 2016 | 20.3% | -2.8% |
| 2017 | 18.5% | -8.9% |
| 2018 | 17.8% | -4.0% |
| 2019 | 17.4% | -2.2% |
| 2020 | 18.5% | +6.3% |
| 2021 | 18.4% | -0.6% |
| 2022 | 15.6% | -14.8% |
| 2023 | 15.1% | -3.2% |
| 2024 | 14.8% | -2.0% |
| 2025 | 14.6% | -1.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 21.2% | 17.8% | 22.5% | 8 |
| 2000s | 18.6% | 16.9% | 20.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 20.2% | 17.4% | 22.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 16.2% | 14.6% | 18.5% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Europe & Central Asia
More work & labour data for Europe & Central Asia
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 51.1% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) 58.2% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) 65.9% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) 35.9% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) 44.5% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) 40.3% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) 79.3% (2025)
- Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) 78.2% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 66.3% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages) 72.8% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) in Europe & Central Asia?
- Unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) in Europe & Central Asia was 14.6% 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 Europe & Central Asia?
- The highest recorded value was 22.5% in 1997.
- What is the lowest unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) recorded in Europe & Central Asia?
- The lowest recorded value was 14.6% in 2025.
- How does Europe & Central Asia rank for unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24)?
- Europe & Central Asia ranks 16th out of 29 groups with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) rising or falling in Europe & Central Asia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 30.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Europe & Central Asia 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.
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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.