Unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) in Serbia
Serbia: Unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) was 21.7% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) in Serbia, 2005–2025
Source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
In 2025, unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) in Serbia stood at 21.7%.
That represents a change of up 1.1% on the previous year and down 49.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) in Serbia peaked at 51.1% in 2012 and was at its lowest, 21.4%, in 2024.
That places Serbia 33rd out of 160 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 21 years of available data.
Unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) in Serbia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 47.7% | — |
| 2006 | 47.9% | +0.3% |
| 2007 | 43.7% | -8.7% |
| 2008 | 35.1% | -19.7% |
| 2009 | 41.5% | +18.2% |
| 2010 | 46.3% | +11.4% |
| 2011 | 50.9% | +10.1% |
| 2012 | 51.1% | +0.2% |
| 2013 | 49.4% | -3.2% |
| 2014 | 47.5% | -3.8% |
| 2015 | 43.2% | -9.2% |
| 2016 | 34.9% | -19.1% |
| 2017 | 31.9% | -8.7% |
| 2018 | 29.7% | -6.9% |
| 2019 | 27.5% | -7.4% |
| 2020 | 26.6% | -3.2% |
| 2021 | 24.5% | -8.0% |
| 2022 | 23.3% | -5.0% |
| 2023 | 24.1% | +3.7% |
| 2024 | 21.4% | -11.2% |
| 2025 | 21.7% | +1.1% |
Serbia compared with similar countries
- Serbia's 21.7% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 15.5%, 1.4× the median. (48 countries reporting)
- Serbia's 21.7% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 43.2% | 35.1% | 47.9% | 5 |
| 2010s | 41.2% | 27.5% | 51.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 23.6% | 21.4% | 26.6% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Serbia
More work & labour data for Serbia
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.7737 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.7205 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.8268 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -2.14 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.1128 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 5,121 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 2,326 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 1,850 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 1,852 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 3,702 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) in Serbia?
- Unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) in Serbia was 21.7% 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 Serbia?
- The highest recorded value was 51.1% in 2012.
- What is the lowest unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) recorded in Serbia?
- The lowest recorded value was 21.4% in 2024.
- How does Serbia rank for unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24)?
- Serbia ranks 33rd out of 160 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) rising or falling in Serbia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 49.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Serbia 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.