Youth unemployment (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) in United Kingdom
United Kingdom: Youth unemployment (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) was 873.61 in 2025. ▼ Falling
Youth unemployment (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) in United Kingdom, 1983–2025
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
United Kingdom recorded 873.61 for youth unemployment (previous ilo definition - icls13) in 2025.
That represents a change of up 12.3% on the previous year and down 6.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, youth unemployment (previous ilo definition - icls13) in United Kingdom peaked at 1,629 in 1986 and was at its lowest, 585.76, in 2019.
United Kingdom ranks 12th of 94 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 43 years of available data.
Youth unemployment (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) in United Kingdom, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1983 | 1,538 | — |
| 1984 | 1,532 | -0.4% |
| 1985 | 1,595 | +4.1% |
| 1986 | 1,629 | +2.1% |
| 1987 | 1,499 | -8.0% |
| 1988 | 1,220 | -18.6% |
| 1989 | 978.16 | -19.9% |
| 1990 | 922.55 | -5.7% |
| 1991 | 1,161 | +25.9% |
| 1992 | 1,261 | +8.6% |
| 1993 | 1,322 | +4.8% |
| 1994 | 1,181 | -10.7% |
| 1995 | 1,105 | -6.4% |
| 1996 | 1,031 | -6.8% |
| 1997 | 898.84 | -12.8% |
| 1998 | 799.86 | -11.0% |
| 1999 | 753.21 | -5.8% |
| 2000 | 714.45 | -5.1% |
| 2001 | 592.41 | -17.1% |
| 2002 | 662.1 | +11.8% |
| 2003 | 656.24 | -0.9% |
| 2004 | 637.22 | -2.9% |
| 2005 | 775.03 | +21.6% |
| 2006 | 869.33 | +12.2% |
| 2007 | 875.88 | +0.8% |
| 2008 | 943.18 | +7.7% |
| 2009 | 1,208 | +28.1% |
| 2010 | 1,242 | +2.8% |
| 2011 | 1,332 | +7.2% |
| 2012 | 1,358 | +2.0% |
| 2013 | 1,265 | -6.9% |
| 2014 | 1,073 | -15.2% |
| 2015 | 934.13 | -13.0% |
| 2016 | 793.48 | -15.1% |
| 2017 | 728.15 | -8.2% |
| 2018 | 685.11 | -5.9% |
| 2019 | 585.76 | -14.5% |
| 2020 | 749.44 | +27.9% |
| 2021 | 678.52 | -9.5% |
| 2022 | 594.98 | -12.3% |
| 2023 | 677.02 | +13.8% |
| 2024 | 778.05 | +14.9% |
| 2025 | 873.61 | +12.3% |
United Kingdom compared with similar countries
- United Kingdom's 873.61 is above the median for high income countries, which is 84.37, 10.4× the median. (45 countries reporting)
- United Kingdom's 873.61 is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 64.04, 13.6× the median. (42 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 1,427 | 978.16 | 1,629 | 7 |
| 1990s | 1,044 | 753.21 | 1,322 | 10 |
| 2000s | 793.38 | 592.41 | 1,208 | 10 |
| 2010s | 999.67 | 585.76 | 1,358 | 10 |
| 2020s | 725.27 | 594.98 | 873.61 | 6 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom
More work & labour data for United Kingdom
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 22,956 (2027)
- Labour force participation rate (ILO modelled estimates) 60.91 (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 35,770 (2027)
- Unemployment rate (ILO modelled estimates) 4.93 (2027)
- Labour dependency ratio 1.07 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2021 international $ at PPP 111,361 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2015 US $ 100,223 (2027)
- Employment-to-population ratio (ILO modelled estimates) 57.91 (2027)
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+) 1.47 % change on previous year (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+), annual growth rate 0.4352 % change on previous year (2027)
Frequently asked questions
- What is youth unemployment (previous ilo definition - icls13) in United Kingdom?
- Youth unemployment (previous ilo definition - icls13) in United Kingdom was 873.61 in 2025, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest youth unemployment (previous ilo definition - icls13) recorded in United Kingdom?
- The highest recorded value was 1,629 in 1986.
- What is the lowest youth unemployment (previous ilo definition - icls13) recorded in United Kingdom?
- The lowest recorded value was 585.76 in 2019.
- How does United Kingdom rank for youth unemployment (previous ilo definition - icls13)?
- United Kingdom ranks 12th out of 94 countries with data for 2025.
- Is youth unemployment (previous ilo definition - icls13) rising or falling in United Kingdom?
- Over the last ten years it is down 6.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this United Kingdom data come from?
- The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of Youth unemployment (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) (15-29). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
With the aim of promoting international comparability, statistics presented on ILOSTAT are based on standard international definitions wherever feasible and may differ from official national figures. This series is based on the 13th ICLS definitions. For time series comparability, it includes countries that have implemented the 19th ICLS standards, for which data are also available in the Work Statistics -- 19th ICLS (WORK) database. The unemployed comprise all persons of working age who were: a) without work during the reference period, i.e. were not in paid employment or self-employment; b) currently available for work, i.e. were available for paid employment or self-employment during the reference period; and c) seeking work, i.e. had taken specific steps in a specified recent period to seek paid employment or self-employment. For more information, refer to the Youth Labour Market Indicators (YouthSTATS) database description.