Countries With the Fastest Decline in Youth unemployment rate (5-Year Change)

Name: Countries With the Fastest Decline in Youth unemployment rate (5-Year Change)
Creator: The World Bank
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Change in Youth unemployment rate over the five years to each country's latest year, in points (a share or rate is not shown as a % of itself). Only countries that fell are listed. Source: The World Bank (CC BY 4.0).

Summary

St. Lucia fell the most: by 31.4 pts, from 51.6% of labour force aged 15-24 to 20.3% of labour force aged 15-24 in the five years to 2025. Costa Rica is second (−20.2 pts), followed by Saudi Arabia (−19.6 pts). 154 countries fell over that period; the median change among them was −3.13 pts.

#1: St. Lucia · −31.4 pts
Median: −3.13 pts
Coverage: 154 countries
Data year: 2025
Last updated: 2026-11-14

Top 10: 5-year change (points). Bar chart of the top 10: 1. St. Lucia -31.4; 2. Costa Rica -20.2; 3. Saudi Arabia -19.6; 4. Brazil -16.3; 5. Spain -13.6; 6. Panama -13.3; 7. New Caledonia -13; 8. Greece -12.4; 9. Montenegro -11.8; 10. Barbados -11.6.

Full ranking

Countries With the Fastest Decline in Youth unemployment rate (5-Year Change), 2025
Rank	Country	From	To	5-year change (points)
1	St. Lucia	51.6	20.3	−31.4 pts
2	Costa Rica	40.1	19.9	−20.2 pts
3	Saudi Arabia	29.6	10	−19.6 pts
4	Brazil	30.3	14	−16.3 pts
5	Spain	38.3	24.7	−13.6 pts
6	Panama	33	19.8	−13.3 pts
7	New Caledonia	46.1	33.1	−13 pts
8	Greece	33.7	21.4	−12.4 pts
9	Montenegro	36.2	24.4	−11.8 pts
10	Barbados	30	18.5	−11.6 pts
11	Argentina	30.4	19.2	−11.2 pts
12	Bolivia	15.2	5.01	−10.2 pts
13	Sudan	22.2	12	−10.2 pts
14	Virgin Islands (US)	34.1	24.2	−9.87 pts
15	Bosnia and Herzegovina	37.9	28.2	−9.72 pts
16	Colombia	27.2	17.7	−9.6 pts
17	Russian Federation	17	7.61	−9.37 pts
18	Jamaica	20.1	10.8	−9.28 pts
19	Italy	29.6	20.5	−9.08 pts
20	Uruguay	34.2	25.1	−9.07 pts
21	Türkiye	24.9	16	−8.88 pts
22	India	24.7	16	−8.64 pts
23	Brunei Darussalam	26.9	18.2	−8.62 pts
24	Honduras	17.1	8.53	−8.54 pts
25	Mauritius	25	17.4	−7.66 pts
26	United Arab Emirates	13.5	6.45	−7.03 pts
27	North Macedonia	35.6	28.8	−6.87 pts
28	Sri Lanka	25.4	18.6	−6.87 pts
29	Hong Kong SAR, China	15.5	8.96	−6.57 pts
30	Canada	20.1	13.8	−6.32 pts
31	Algeria	35.8	29.4	−6.32 pts
32	Congo, Rep.	46.7	40.5	−6.2 pts
33	Guyana	31	24.9	−6.1 pts
34	Cabo Verde	34.5	28.4	−6.06 pts
35	Angola	33.1	27.2	−5.85 pts
36	Armenia	32.1	26.2	−5.84 pts
37	Lithuania	19.6	13.8	−5.8 pts
38	Cyprus	18.5	12.7	−5.78 pts
39	West Bank and Gaza	41.9	36.1	−5.78 pts
40	St. Vincent and the Grenadines	47.7	41.9	−5.76 pts
41	Serbia	26.6	20.9	−5.68 pts
42	Puerto Rico (US)	19.6	14	−5.59 pts
43	United States	14.9	9.34	−5.55 pts
44	Nigeria	10.8	5.34	−5.5 pts
45	Paraguay	17.2	11.7	−5.47 pts
46	Djibouti	81.9	76.8	−5.12 pts
47	Bhutan	22	17.1	−4.94 pts
48	Morocco	26.8	21.9	−4.91 pts
49	French Polynesia	41.5	36.6	−4.9 pts
50	Samoa	17.8	13	−4.86 pts
51	Ireland	15.3	10.5	−4.77 pts
52	Bahamas, The	23.9	19.2	−4.7 pts
53	Slovenia	14.2	9.54	−4.64 pts
54	Australia	14.1	9.61	−4.53 pts
55	Eswatini	58.6	54.3	−4.28 pts
56	Croatia	20.7	16.5	−4.2 pts
57	Bangladesh	13.5	9.39	−4.09 pts
58	Kuwait	19.1	15.1	−4 pts
59	Ukraine	23.1	19.1	−3.99 pts
60	Bulgaria	14.1	10.2	−3.99 pts
61	Singapore	10.6	6.78	−3.78 pts
62	Kyrgyz Republic	11.9	8.23	−3.63 pts
63	Trinidad and Tobago	11.8	8.22	−3.59 pts
64	Jordan	42.5	38.9	−3.58 pts
65	Lesotho	28.2	24.7	−3.55 pts
66	Nepal	24.1	20.6	−3.51 pts
67	Libya	53.6	50.1	−3.5 pts
68	Namibia	41.5	38.1	−3.46 pts
69	Korea, Rep.	10.1	6.7	−3.45 pts
70	Gabon	39.7	36.3	−3.42 pts
71	Suriname	28.8	25.4	−3.4 pts
72	El Salvador	11.1	7.81	−3.27 pts
73	Peru	12.7	9.45	−3.21 pts
74	Syrian Arab Republic	36.3	33.1	−3.19 pts
75	Mongolia	14.9	11.7	−3.18 pts
76	Tunisia	41.2	38.1	−3.17 pts
77	Venezuela, RB	13.6	10.4	−3.16 pts
78	Malta	11.5	8.43	−3.11 pts
79	Timor-Leste	6.79	3.72	−3.07 pts
80	Belize	22.4	19.3	−3.05 pts
81	Ecuador	11.1	8.16	−2.91 pts
82	Belarus	12	9.18	−2.86 pts
83	Mali	6.73	3.88	−2.86 pts
84	Chile	24.4	21.6	−2.74 pts
85	Mauritania	25.5	22.9	−2.6 pts
86	Dominican Republic	14.8	12.3	−2.45 pts
87	Iraq	34.5	32	−2.44 pts
88	Mexico	8.05	5.71	−2.34 pts
89	Portugal	22.5	20.2	−2.24 pts
90	Azerbaijan	15.1	13.1	−2.04 pts
91	Haiti	39.5	37.5	−2.02 pts
92	Tonga	7.99	6.03	−1.96 pts
93	Yemen, Rep.	34.5	32.6	−1.93 pts
94	Latvia	14.9	13	−1.92 pts
95	Nicaragua	11.4	9.54	−1.88 pts
96	Lao PDR	4.24	2.38	−1.85 pts
97	Iran, Islamic Rep.	23.7	21.9	−1.81 pts
98	Indonesia	14.8	13	−1.8 pts
99	Congo, Dem. Rep.	9.6	7.85	−1.75 pts
100	Comoros	10.5	8.75	−1.73 pts

Showing the top 100 of 154. Premium downloads the full list as CSV or JSON.

About the top 10

#1 St. Lucia

St. Lucia ranks #1 on this list with −31.4 pts.

Capital: Castries
Continent: North America
Income group: Upper middle income
Population: 180,150 people (2025)
GDP: US$2.66 billion (2025)
GDP per person: US$14,746 (2025)
Life expectancy: 72.8 years (2024)
Urban population: 29.1% of population (2025)

Also ranks #9 in homicide rate · #9 in immunisation (dpt) rate · #13 in population ages 15-64 share.

Full country profile

#2 Costa Rica

Costa Rica ranks #2 on this list with −20.2 pts.

Capital: San José
Continent: North America
Income group: High income
Population: 5.15 million people (2025)
GDP: US$102.9 billion (2025)
GDP per person: US$19,970 (2025)
Life expectancy: 81 years (2024)
Urban population: 79.7% of population (2025)

Also ranks #3 in immunisation (dpt) rate · #4 in fertiliser consumption · #8 in women in parliament share.

Full country profile

#3 Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia ranks #3 on this list with −19.6 pts.

Capital: Riyadh
Continent: Asia
Income group: High income
Population: 36.97 million people (2025)
GDP: US$1.28 trillion (2025)
GDP per person: US$34,537 (2025)
Life expectancy: 79 years (2024)
Urban population: 84.6% of population (2025)

Largest cities: Riyadh, Jeddah, Medina.

Also ranks #2 in population growth rate · #2 in crop production index · #2 in pm2.5 air pollution exposure.

Full country profile

#4 Brazil

Brazil ranks #4 on this list with −16.3 pts.

Capital: Brasília
Continent: South America
Income group: Upper middle income
Population: 212.81 million people (2025)
GDP: US$2.28 trillion (2025)
GDP per person: US$10,713 (2025)
Life expectancy: 76 years (2024)
Urban population: 88.2% of population (2025)

Largest cities: Greater Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro.

Also ranks #1 in new businesses registered · #2 in forest area · #3 in external debt stocks.

Full country profile

#5 Spain

Spain ranks #5 on this list with −13.6 pts.

Capital: Madrid
Continent: Europe
Income group: High income
Population: 49.36 million people (2025)
GDP: US$1.91 trillion (2025)
GDP per person: US$38,627 (2025)
Life expectancy: 83.9 years (2024)
Urban population: 80.5% of population (2025)

Largest cities: Madrid city, Barcelona, City of Valencia.

Also ranks #7 in female life expectancy · #7 in government debt share of gdp · #8 in tourism arrivals.

Full country profile Weather in Madrid (Purr Weather)

#6 Panama

Panama ranks #6 on this list with −13.3 pts.

Capital: Panama City
Continent: North America
Income group: High income
Population: 4.57 million people (2025)
GDP: US$90.46 billion (2025)
GDP per person: US$19,790 (2025)
Life expectancy: 79.8 years (2024)
Urban population: 66.2% of population (2025)

Largest cities: Panama City.

Also ranks #7 in gini index · #8 in income share of richest 10% · #15 in gross capital formation rate.

Full country profile

#7 New Caledonia

New Caledonia ranks #7 on this list with −13 pts.

Capital: Nouméa
Continent: Oceania
Income group: High income
Population: 295,330 people (2025)
GDP: US$8.55 billion (2024)
GDP per person: US$29,213 (2024)
Life expectancy: 78.9 years (2024)
Urban population: 68.2% of population (2025)

Also ranks #2 in protected terrestrial area share · #4 in protected marine area share · #4 in mineral rents share of gdp.

Full country profile

#8 Greece

Greece ranks #8 on this list with −12.4 pts.

Capital: Athens
Continent: Europe
Income group: High income
Population: 10.41 million people (2025)
GDP: US$280.64 billion (2025)
GDP per person: US$26,948 (2025)
Life expectancy: 81.8 years (2024)
Urban population: 79.2% of population (2025)

Also ranks #1 in school enrolment (tertiary) · #4 in physicians per 1,000 · #6 in population ages 65+ share.

Full country profile Weather in Athens (Purr Weather)

#9 Montenegro

Montenegro ranks #9 on this list with −11.8 pts.

Capital: Podgorica
Continent: Europe
Income group: Upper middle income
Population: 623,130 people (2025)
GDP: US$9.23 billion (2025)
GDP per person: US$14,817 (2025)
Life expectancy: 77.9 years (2024)
Urban population: 65.6% of population (2025)

Also ranks #3 in mobile subscriptions per 100 · #9 in bank branches per 100,000 adults · #10 in smoking prevalence.

Full country profile

#10 Barbados

Barbados ranks #10 on this list with −11.6 pts.

Capital: Bridgetown
Continent: North America
Income group: High income
Population: 282,620 people (2025)
GDP: US$8.02 billion (2025)
GDP per person: US$28,365 (2025)
Life expectancy: 76.3 years (2024)
Urban population: 59.7% of population (2025)

Also ranks #8 in access to clean cooking fuels · #12 in political stability score · #14 in population density.

Full country profile

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

Source and method

Change in Youth unemployment rate over the five years to each country's latest year, in points (a share or rate is not shown as a % of itself). Only countries that fell are listed.

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 (changes are computed from the published values). Provider terms: The World Bank. All licences: Sources & licences.

Summary

Full ranking

About the top 10

#1 St. Lucia

#2 Costa Rica

#3 Saudi Arabia

#4 Brazil

#5 Spain

#6 Panama

#7 New Caledonia

#8 Greece

#9 Montenegro

#10 Barbados

Related rankings

Source and method