Unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) in Italy
Italy: Unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) was 20.6% in 2025. ▬ Flat
Latest (2025)
20.6%
Change on year
up 1.4%
World rank
38th
of 160 countries
All-time high
42.7%
in 2014
All-time low
20.3%
in 2024
Years of data
47
1978–2025
Unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) in Italy, 1978–2025
Source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
In 2025, unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) in Italy stood at 20.6%.
That represents a change of up 1.4% on the previous year and down 48.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) in Italy peaked at 42.7% in 2014 and was at its lowest, 20.3%, in 2024.
Italy ranks 38th of 160 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
Unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) in Italy, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1978 | 24.8% | — |
| 1979 | 25.4% | +2.2% |
| 1980 | 25.0% | -1.3% |
| 1982 | 29.4% | +17.6% |
| 1983 | 28.9% | -1.8% |
| 1984 | 31.5% | +8.9% |
| 1985 | 32.1% | +1.9% |
| 1986 | 33.3% | +3.8% |
| 1987 | 33.7% | +1.3% |
| 1988 | 33.3% | -1.4% |
| 1989 | 31.8% | -4.4% |
| 1990 | 28.9% | -8.9% |
| 1991 | 28.1% | -2.8% |
| 1992 | 28.3% | +0.6% |
| 1993 | 30.2% | +6.5% |
| 1994 | 31.8% | +5.4% |
| 1995 | 33.5% | +5.3% |
| 1996 | 34.7% | +3.8% |
| 1997 | 34.6% | -0.5% |
| 1998 | 33.8% | -2.3% |
| 1999 | 33.0% | -2.4% |
| 2000 | 31.5% | -4.5% |
| 2001 | 27.8% | -11.5% |
| 2002 | 27.1% | -2.5% |
| 2003 | 26.8% | -1.2% |
| 2004 | 24.4% | -8.8% |
| 2005 | 24.1% | -1.3% |
| 2006 | 21.8% | -9.8% |
| 2007 | 20.4% | -6.4% |
| 2008 | 21.2% | +4.1% |
| 2009 | 25.3% | +19.5% |
| 2010 | 27.9% | +10.1% |
| 2011 | 29.2% | +4.5% |
| 2012 | 35.3% | +21.1% |
| 2013 | 40.0% | +13.4% |
| 2014 | 42.7% | +6.6% |
| 2015 | 40.3% | -5.5% |
| 2016 | 37.8% | -6.3% |
| 2017 | 34.7% | -8.0% |
| 2018 | 32.2% | -7.3% |
| 2019 | 29.1% | -9.6% |
| 2020 | 29.7% | +1.8% |
| 2021 | 29.7% | +0.1% |
| 2022 | 23.7% | -20.1% |
| 2023 | 22.7% | -4.1% |
| 2024 | 20.3% | -10.6% |
| 2025 | 20.6% | +1.4% |
Italy compared with similar countries
- Italy's 20.6% is above the median for high income countries, which is 13.9%, 1.5× the median. (70 countries reporting)
- Italy's 20.6% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 15.2%, 1.4× the median. (51 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 25.1% | 24.8% | 25.4% | 2 |
| 1980s | 31.0% | 25.0% | 33.7% | 9 |
| 1990s | 31.7% | 28.1% | 34.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | 25.0% | 20.4% | 31.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 34.9% | 27.9% | 42.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 24.4% | 20.3% | 29.7% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Italy
More work & labour data for Italy
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.6708 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.6794 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.662 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -2.03 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.0094 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 44,671 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 10,422 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 17,512 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 17,865 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 35,377 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) in Italy?
- Unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) in Italy was 20.6% 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 Italy?
- The highest recorded value was 42.7% in 2014.
- What is the lowest unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) recorded in Italy?
- The lowest recorded value was 20.3% in 2024.
- How does Italy rank for unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24)?
- Italy ranks 38th out of 160 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) rising or falling in Italy?
- Over the last ten years it is down 48.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Italy 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
CSV · JSON — 47 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. Definitions of labor force and unemployment differ by country.