Unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) in Portugal
Portugal: Unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) was 19.5% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) in Portugal, 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 Portugal stood at 19.5%.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 9.8% on the previous year and down 38.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) in Portugal peaked at 38.5% in 2013 and was at its lowest, 8.3%, in 2000.
That places Portugal 42nd out of 160 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 47 years of available data.
Unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) in Portugal, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1978 | 19.8% | — |
| 1979 | 19.2% | -2.9% |
| 1980 | 16.9% | -12.0% |
| 1981 | 16.0% | -5.5% |
| 1982 | 14.9% | -6.9% |
| 1984 | 22.9% | +53.7% |
| 1985 | 20.0% | -12.5% |
| 1986 | 20.3% | +1.5% |
| 1987 | 17.5% | -13.7% |
| 1988 | 14.3% | -18.6% |
| 1989 | 11.7% | -18.0% |
| 1990 | 10.4% | -11.5% |
| 1991 | 8.7% | -16.0% |
| 1992 | 9.7% | +11.2% |
| 1993 | 12.1% | +25.2% |
| 1994 | 14.5% | +20.0% |
| 1995 | 16.0% | +9.9% |
| 1996 | 17.0% | +6.2% |
| 1997 | 14.1% | -16.7% |
| 1998 | 9.5% | -32.8% |
| 1999 | 9.2% | -3.4% |
| 2000 | 8.3% | -10.0% |
| 2001 | 9.0% | +8.6% |
| 2002 | 10.5% | +16.7% |
| 2003 | 13.5% | +29.2% |
| 2004 | 14.1% | +4.0% |
| 2005 | 16.2% | +15.4% |
| 2006 | 16.5% | +1.7% |
| 2007 | 16.7% | +1.4% |
| 2008 | 16.7% | -0.4% |
| 2009 | 20.3% | +21.9% |
| 2010 | 22.8% | +12.0% |
| 2011 | 30.3% | +33.2% |
| 2012 | 38.0% | +25.3% |
| 2013 | 38.5% | +1.2% |
| 2014 | 34.7% | -9.9% |
| 2015 | 31.8% | -8.3% |
| 2016 | 27.8% | -12.5% |
| 2017 | 23.8% | -14.4% |
| 2018 | 20.2% | -15.0% |
| 2019 | 18.3% | -9.4% |
| 2020 | 22.5% | +22.6% |
| 2021 | 23.4% | +4.3% |
| 2022 | 19.2% | -18.1% |
| 2023 | 20.5% | +6.9% |
| 2024 | 21.6% | +5.5% |
| 2025 | 19.5% | -9.8% |
Portugal compared with similar countries
- Portugal's 19.5% is above the median for high income countries, which is 13.9%, 1.4× the median. (70 countries reporting)
- Portugal's 19.5% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 15.2%, 1.3× the median. (51 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 19.5% | 19.2% | 19.8% | 2 |
| 1980s | 17.2% | 11.7% | 22.9% | 9 |
| 1990s | 12.1% | 8.7% | 17.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 14.2% | 8.3% | 20.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 28.6% | 18.3% | 38.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 21.1% | 19.2% | 23.4% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Portugal
- 39 Iran, Islamic Republic of 20.2% compare
- 40 Costa Rica 20.1% compare
- 41 France 19.7% compare
- 43 Panama 19.5% compare
- 44 Brunei Darussalam 19.4% compare
- 45 Belize 19.3% compare
More work & labour data for Portugal
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.0538 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.055 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.0528 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -2.28 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate -0.1795 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 7,134 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 1,861 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 4,504 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 4,250 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 8,754 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) in Portugal?
- Unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) in Portugal was 19.5% 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 Portugal?
- The highest recorded value was 38.5% in 2013.
- What is the lowest unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) recorded in Portugal?
- The lowest recorded value was 8.3% in 2000.
- How does Portugal rank for unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24)?
- Portugal ranks 42nd out of 160 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) rising or falling in Portugal?
- Over the last ten years it is down 38.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Portugal 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.