Unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) in South Asia
South Asia: Unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) was 17.7% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) in South Asia, 1994–2025
Source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
In 2025, unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) in South Asia stood at 17.7%.
The figure is up 18.1% on the previous year and up 77.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) in South Asia peaked at 26.1% in 2018 and was at its lowest, 6.8%, in 1994.
That places South Asia 4th out of 29 groups with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 13 years of available data.
Unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) in South Asia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1994 | 6.8% | — |
| 2000 | 8.6% | +27.3% |
| 2005 | 9.3% | +8.0% |
| 2010 | 9.4% | +0.5% |
| 2012 | 10.0% | +6.5% |
| 2018 | 26.1% | +161.8% |
| 2019 | 22.7% | -13.2% |
| 2020 | 24.6% | +8.4% |
| 2021 | 20.8% | -15.5% |
| 2022 | 17.2% | -17.1% |
| 2023 | 14.7% | -14.3% |
| 2024 | 15.0% | +1.5% |
| 2025 | 17.7% | +18.1% |
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) in South Asia changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | +161.8% | 10.0% | 26.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 6.8% | 6.8% | 6.8% | 1 |
| 2000s | 9.0% | 8.6% | 9.3% | 2 |
| 2010s | 17.0% | 9.4% | 26.1% | 4 |
| 2020s | 18.3% | 14.7% | 24.6% | 6 |
Countries ranked near South Asia
More work & labour data for South Asia
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 33.0% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) 77.4% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) 55.6% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) 19.6% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) 45.4% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) 33.0% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages) 59.0% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) 81.2% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 35.5% (2025)
- Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) 42.6% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) in South Asia?
- Unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) in South Asia was 17.7% 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 South Asia?
- The highest recorded value was 26.1% in 2018.
- What is the lowest unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) recorded in South Asia?
- The lowest recorded value was 6.8% in 1994.
- How does South Asia rank for unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24)?
- South Asia ranks 4th out of 29 groups with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) rising or falling in South Asia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 77.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South 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.