Lower middle income 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. Eswatini is second with 54.3% of labour force aged 15-24, 41.3% behind. The top five are Djibouti, Eswatini, Congo, Rep., Tunisia and Namibia. The median across all 46 is 10.1% of labour force aged 15-24; Cambodia is last at 0.711% 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
- 10.1% of labour force aged 15-24
- Coverage
- 46 Lower middle income countries
- Data year
- 2025
- Last updated
- 2026-11-14
Full ranking
| Rank | Country | Youth unemployment rate (% of labour force aged 15-24) | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Djibouti | 76.8 | 2025 |
| 2 | Eswatini | 54.3 | 2025 |
| 3 | Congo, Rep. | 40.5 | 2025 |
| 4 | Tunisia | 38.1 | 2025 |
| 5 | Namibia | 38.1 | 2025 |
| 6 | Haiti | 37.5 | 2025 |
| 7 | West Bank and Gaza | 36.1 | 2022 |
| 8 | Angola | 27.2 | 2025 |
| 9 | Lesotho | 24.7 | 2025 |
| 10 | Mauritania | 22.9 | 2025 |
| 11 | Lebanon | 22.7 | 2023 |
| 12 | Morocco | 21.9 | 2025 |
| 13 | Nepal | 20.6 | 2025 |
| 14 | Egypt, Arab Rep. | 18.3 | 2025 |
| 15 | Bhutan | 17.1 | 2025 |
| 16 | India | 16 | 2025 |
| 17 | Zimbabwe | 15.5 | 2025 |
| 18 | Kenya | 15.2 | 2025 |
| 19 | Tajikistan | 14.6 | 2025 |
| 20 | Uzbekistan | 11.4 | 2025 |
| 21 | Vanuatu | 11.3 | 2025 |
| 22 | Zambia | 10.5 | 2025 |
| 23 | Venezuela, RB | 10.4 | 2025 |
| 24 | Myanmar | 9.81 | 2025 |
| 25 | Pakistan | 9.59 | 2025 |
| 26 | Nicaragua | 9.54 | 2025 |
| 27 | Bangladesh | 9.39 | 2025 |
| 28 | São Tomé and Principe | 8.79 | 2025 |
| 29 | Comoros | 8.75 | 2025 |
| 30 | Honduras | 8.53 | 2025 |
| 31 | Kyrgyz Republic | 8.23 | 2025 |
| 32 | Guinea | 7.02 | 2025 |
| 33 | Cameroon | 6.55 | 2025 |
| 34 | Ghana | 5.83 | 2025 |
| 35 | Nigeria | 5.34 | 2025 |
| 36 | Bolivia | 5.01 | 2025 |
| 37 | Côte d'Ivoire | 4.01 | 2025 |
| 38 | Papua New Guinea | 3.79 | 2025 |
| 39 | Timor-Leste | 3.72 | 2025 |
| 40 | Senegal | 3.62 | 2025 |
| 41 | Togo | 3.44 | 2025 |
| 42 | Benin | 2.89 | 2025 |
| 43 | Solomon Islands | 2.76 | 2025 |
| 44 | Lao PDR | 2.38 | 2025 |
| 45 | Tanzania | 2.38 | 2025 |
| 46 | Cambodia | 0.711 | 2025 |
About the top 10
#1 Djibouti
Djibouti ranks #1 on this list with 76.8% of labour force aged 15-24.
- Capital
- Djibouti
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Lower middle income
- Population
- 1.18 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$4.62 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$3,906 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 66.2 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 73% of population (2025)
Also ranks #1 in youth unemployment rate · #3 in unemployment rate · #4 in prevalence of wasting (under-5).
#2 Eswatini
Eswatini ranks #2 on this list with 54.3% of labour force aged 15-24.
- Capital
- Mbabane, Lobamba
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Lower middle income
- Population
- 1.26 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$5.16 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$4,108 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 64.3 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 26.7% of population (2025)
Also ranks #1 in unemployment rate · #1 in hiv prevalence · #3 in youth unemployment rate.
#3 Congo, Rep.
Congo, Rep. ranks #3 on this list with 40.5% of labour force aged 15-24.
- Capital
- Brazzaville
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Lower middle income
- Population
- 6.48 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$16.31 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$2,515 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 66 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 64.1% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Brazzaville, Pointe-Noire.
Also ranks #3 in oil rents share of gdp · #4 in natural resource rents share of gdp · #7 in unemployment rate.
#4 Tunisia
Tunisia ranks #4 on this list with 38.1% of labour force aged 15-24.
- Capital
- Tunis
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Lower middle income
- Population
- 12.35 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$57.5 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$4,657 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 76.7 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 70.7% of population (2025)
Also ranks #9 in youth unemployment rate · #9 in gender parity index (school enrolment) · #16 in unemployment rate.
#5 Namibia
Namibia ranks #5 on this list with 38.1% of labour force aged 15-24.
- Capital
- Windhoek
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Lower middle income
- Population
- 3.09 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$15.08 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$4,876 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 67.5 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 50.9% of population (2025)
Also ranks #1 in women in ministerial positions share · #2 in tax revenue share of gdp · #4 in education expenditure share of gdp.
#6 Haiti
Haiti ranks #6 on this list with 37.5% of labour force aged 15-24.
- Capital
- Port-au-Prince
- Continent
- North America
- Income group
- Lower middle income
- Population
- 11.91 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$32.08 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$2,694 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 65.1 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 55.6% of population (2025)
Also ranks #2 in prevalence of undernourishment · #4 in time to start a business (days) · #7 in homicide rate.
#7 West Bank and Gaza
West Bank and Gaza ranks #7 on this list with 36.1% of labour force aged 15-24 (2022).
- Capital
- Ramallah, East Jerusalem
- Continent
- Asia
- Income group
- Lower middle income
- Population
- 5.41 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$17.17 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$3,171 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 69.2 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 87.4% of population (2025)
Also ranks #5 in unemployment rate · #10 in crop production index · #12 in population density.
#8 Angola
Angola ranks #8 on this list with 27.2% of labour force aged 15-24.
- Capital
- Luanda
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Lower middle income
- Population
- 39.04 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$122.17 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$3,130 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 64.8 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 71.5% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Luanda, Quilamba Quiaxi.
Also ranks #4 in gini index · #4 in oil rents share of gdp · #5 in income share of richest 10%.
#9 Lesotho
Lesotho ranks #9 on this list with 24.7% of labour force aged 15-24.
- Capital
- Maseru
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Lower middle income
- Population
- 2.36 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$2.57 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$1,089 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 57.8 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 44.7% of population (2025)
Also ranks #1 in tax revenue share of gdp · #1 in suicide mortality rate · #2 in agricultural land share.
#10 Mauritania
Mauritania ranks #10 on this list with 22.9% of labour force aged 15-24.
- Capital
- Nouakchott
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Lower middle income
- Population
- 5.32 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$11.68 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$2,198 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 68.7 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 61.5% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Nouakchott.
Also ranks #2 in gross capital formation rate · #3 in prevalence of wasting (under-5) · #8 in gender parity index (school enrolment).
Profile facts: World Bank (CC BY 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0); weather links go to Purr Weather, another ChowChow Labs site.
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.