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Countries Ranked by Youth unemployment rate (2025)

Youth unemployment rate: each country's latest value (2020–2025), ranked from highest to lowest. Source: The World Bank (CC BY 4.0).

Summary

Djibouti ranks #1 with 76.8% of labour force aged 15-24. South Africa is second with 59.9% of labour force aged 15-24, 28.1% behind. The top five are Djibouti, South Africa, Eswatini, Libya and Botswana. The median across all 187 is 13% of labour force aged 15-24; Niger is last at 0.457% of labour force aged 15-24. Djibouti's figure has risen 17% since 2001 (65.6% of labour force aged 15-24 to 76.8% of labour force aged 15-24 in 2025).

#1
Djibouti · 76.8% of labour force aged 15-24
Median
13% of labour force aged 15-24
Coverage
187 countries
Data year
2025
Last updated
2026-11-14
Top 10: Youth unemployment rateBar chart of the top 10: 1. Djibouti 76.8; 2. South Africa 59.9; 3. Eswatini 54.3; 4. Libya 50.1; 5. Botswana 46; 6. St. Vincent and the Grenadines 41.9; 7. Congo, Rep. 40.5; 8. Jordan 38.9; 9. Tunisia 38.1; 10. Namibia 38.1.Djibouti76.8South Africa59.9Eswatini54.3Libya50.1Botswana46St. Vincent and the Gre…41.9Congo, Rep.40.5Jordan38.9Tunisia38.1Namibia38.1
Top 10: Youth unemployment rate (% of labour force aged 15-24). Bar chart of the top 10: 1. Djibouti 76.8; 2. South Africa 59.9; 3. Eswatini 54.3; 4. Libya 50.1; 5. Botswana 46; 6. St. Vincent and the Grenadines 41.9; 7. Congo, Rep. 40.5; 8. Jordan 38.9; 9. Tunisia 38.1; 10. Namibia 38.1.
Youth unemployment rate over time, top 5Djibouti: 65.6 in 2001 to 76.8 in 2025; South Africa: 43.2 in 2001 to 59.9 in 2025; Eswatini: 50.3 in 2001 to 54.3 in 2025; Libya: 46.7 in 2001 to 50.1 in 2025; Botswana: 39.2 in 2001 to 46 in 2025.020.540.961.481.9200120132025DjiboutiSouth AfricaEswatiniLibyaBotswana
Youth unemployment rate over time, top 5 (% of labour force aged 15-24). Djibouti: 65.6 in 2001 to 76.8 in 2025; South Africa: 43.2 in 2001 to 59.9 in 2025; Eswatini: 50.3 in 2001 to 54.3 in 2025; Libya: 46.7 in 2001 to 50.1 in 2025; Botswana: 39.2 in 2001 to 46 in 2025.

Full ranking

Countries Ranked by Youth unemployment rate, 2025
RankCountryYouth unemployment rate (% of labour force aged 15-24)Year
1Djibouti76.82025
2South Africa59.92025
3Eswatini54.32025
4Libya50.12025
5Botswana462025
6St. Vincent and the Grenadines41.92025
7Congo, Rep.40.52025
8Jordan38.92025
9Tunisia38.12025
10Namibia38.12025
11Haiti37.52025
12French Polynesia36.62025
13Gabon36.32025
14West Bank and Gaza36.12022
15Somalia, Fed. Rep.34.22025
16New Caledonia33.12025
17Syrian Arab Republic33.12025
18Yemen, Rep.32.62025
19Iraq322025
20Georgia30.32025
21Algeria29.42025
22North Macedonia28.82025
23Cabo Verde28.42025
24Bosnia and Herzegovina28.22025
25Angola27.22025
26Armenia26.22025
27Albania25.62025
28Suriname25.42025
29Uruguay25.12025
30Guyana24.92025
31Spain24.72025
32Lesotho24.72025
33Romania24.52025
34Montenegro24.42025
35Sweden24.32025
36Virgin Islands (US)24.22025
37Mauritania22.92025
38Lebanon22.72023
39Iran, Islamic Rep.21.92025
40Morocco21.92025
41Chile21.62025
42Finland21.52025
43Luxembourg21.52025
44Greece21.42025
45Serbia20.92025
46Nepal20.62025
47Italy20.52025
48St. Lucia20.32025
49Portugal20.22025
50Costa Rica19.92025
51Panama19.82025
52Estonia19.72025
53Belize19.32025
54Bahamas, The19.22025
55Argentina19.22025
56Ukraine19.12021
57France18.92025
58Sri Lanka18.62025
59South Sudan18.52023
60Barbados18.52025
61Slovak Republic18.42025
62Egypt, Arab Rep.18.32025
63Brunei Darussalam18.22025
64Belgium17.82025
65Colombia17.72025
66Mauritius17.42025
67Bhutan17.12025
68Afghanistan16.82025
69Croatia16.52025
70Rwanda16.42025
71Türkiye162025
72India162025
73China15.82025
74Equatorial Guinea15.72025
75Maldives15.72025
76Zimbabwe15.52025
77Kenya15.22025
78Fiji15.22025
79Kuwait15.12025
80United Kingdom14.62025
81Tajikistan14.62025
82New Zealand14.42025
83Hungary14.22025
84Channel Islands14.12025
85Puerto Rico (US)142025
86Brazil142025
87Oman13.92025
88Guam13.82025
89Canada13.82025
90Lithuania13.82025
91Norway13.42025
92Azerbaijan13.12025
93Indonesia132025
94Samoa132025
95Latvia132025
96Cyprus12.72025
97Dominican Republic12.32025
98Sudan122022
99Malaysia122025
100Denmark11.72025

Showing the top 100 of 187. Premium downloads the full list as CSV or JSON.

About the top 10

#2 South Africa

South Africa ranks #2 on this list with 59.9% of labour force aged 15-24.

Capital
Pretoria, Cape Town
Continent
Africa
Income group
Upper middle income
Population
64.75 million people (2025)
GDP
US$427.18 billion (2025)
GDP per person
US$6,598 (2025)
Life expectancy
66.3 years (2024)
Urban population
63.8% of population (2025)

Largest cities: City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality, Johannesburg, Cape Town.

Also ranks #2 in unemployment rate · #2 in income share of richest 10% · #2 in gini index.

Full country profile

Profile facts: World Bank (CC BY 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0); weather links go to Purr Weather, another ChowChow Labs site.

Related rankings

Source and method

Youth unemployment rate: each country's latest value (2020–2025), ranked from highest to lowest.

Source: The World Bank, indicator SL.UEM.1524.ZS. Licence: CC BY 4.0. Retrieved: 2026-11-14.

The World Bank: Unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) (modeled ILO estimate): ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO) (via World Development Indicators)

Original data provider, as recorded by the World Bank: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).

Values are shown as published. Provider terms: The World Bank. All licences: Sources & licences.