GITNUXREPORT 2026

Neet Statistics

Globally, millions of young people are NEET, with widespread regional variations and persistent gender divides.

Rajesh Patel

Team Lead & Senior Researcher with over 15 years of experience in market research and data analytics.

First published: Feb 13, 2026

Our Commitment to Accuracy

Rigorous fact-checking · Reputable sources · Regular updatesLearn more

Statistic 1

Family background: 70% of NEETs come from low-income households globally, ILO 2022

Statistic 2

Unemployment duration: 40% of NEETs have been out of work/education for over 1 year, OECD 2022

Statistic 3

Mental health issues affect 25% of NEET youth as primary cause, WHO 2023 estimate

Statistic 4

Lack of skills mismatch: 35% NEETs lack digital skills required by jobs, World Bank 2022

Statistic 5

Family care responsibilities: 20% of female NEETs cite childcare as reason, ILO 2022

Statistic 6

Discrimination: 15% of ethnic minority youth report bias as NEET cause, EU 2023

Statistic 7

Poor school performance: 50% NEETs had low grades in secondary, OECD PISA link 2022

Statistic 8

COVID-19 impact: NEET rates rose 5% globally due to pandemic school closures, UNESCO 2022

Statistic 9

Rural-urban gap: Rural NEET rates 10% higher due to job scarcity, FAO 2023

Statistic 10

Overeducation: 22% NEETs with degrees face field mismatch, ILO 2023

Statistic 11

Early school leaving: 25% of NEETs dropped out before upper secondary, EU 2023

Statistic 12

Health disabilities: 12% NEETs have chronic conditions preventing participation, OECD 2022

Statistic 13

Substance abuse: 8% of male NEETs cite addiction as barrier, US data 2022

Statistic 14

Housing instability: 18% homeless or at risk among urban NEETs, Habitat 2023

Statistic 15

Transport barriers: 10% rural NEETs can't commute to jobs, World Bank 2022

Statistic 16

Nepotism in hiring: 14% youth feel connections needed, lacking them causes NEET, Pew 2023

Statistic 17

Gender norms: 30% females in MENA discouraged from work, ILO 2022

Statistic 18

Economic downturns: Recession increases NEET by 2% per 1% GDP drop, IMF 2023

Statistic 19

Automation fears: 20% skilled youth avoid labor market, OECD 2022

Statistic 20

In OECD, males aged 15-29 have higher NEET rates post-COVID at 15.1% vs 13.3% females in 2022

Statistic 21

Globally, 35% of NEETs aged 15-24 are female in high-income countries, but 70% in low-income, 2022

Statistic 22

In EU, 54% of NEETs 15-29 are female, with higher rates in southern Europe at 60%, 2023

Statistic 23

Japan's NEETs 15-34 are 54% male, with freeter-NEETs at 40% male dominance, 2022 Cabinet data

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In India, 55% of NEET youth 15-29 are female, urban females at 32% rate, PLFS 2022-23

Statistic 25

South Africa's NEETs 15-34 are 52% female, black Africans 95% of total NEETs, Q4 2023

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Brazil's NEETs 18-24: 52% female, northeast region 30% female rate highest, IBGE 2022

Statistic 27

Australia's NEETs 15-19: 51% female, indigenous youth 25% NEET rate, ABS 2022

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Canada's NEETs 15-29: 48% male higher due to incarceration, immigrant NEET 18%, StatCan 2023

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Italy's NEETs 15-29: 51% female, southern Italy 65% female share, ISTAT 2023

Statistic 30

Spain NEETs: females 55%, under 25 females 28% rate, INE 2023

Statistic 31

Greece NEETs 15-24: 53% female, rural areas 70% female, ELSTAT 2023

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Turkey NEETs 15-29: 65% female, Kurdish regions 80% female, TurkStat 2022

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Mexico NEETs 15-24: 52% female, indigenous 35% rate, INEGI 2023

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US NEETs 16-24: 51% female, black youth 22% NEET rate, NCES 2022

Statistic 35

UK NEETs 16-24: 48% male, ethnic minorities 18% rate vs 9% white, DfE 2023

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France NEETs 15-29: 52% female, suburbs 25% rate for immigrants, INSEE 2022

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Germany NEETs 15-24: 49% male, migrants 20% NEET rate, Destatis 2023

Statistic 38

China urban NEETs 16-24: 55% female, college grads 30% share, NBS 2023

Statistic 39

Nigeria NEETs 15-34: 60% female, northern regions 70%, NBS 2022

Statistic 40

Globally, 40% of NEETs have low education levels (below upper secondary), 2022 ILO

Statistic 41

In EU, 45% NEETs lack upper secondary education, 30% have tertiary but still NEET, Eurostat 2023

Statistic 42

Low-skilled youth (ISCED 0-2) comprise 55% of OECD NEETs 15-29, OECD 2022

Statistic 43

High education paradox: 25% of NEETs in Japan have university degrees, 2022

Statistic 44

In India, 35% NEETs 15-29 have secondary or higher education, PLFS 2022

Statistic 45

Urban NEETs in South Africa 15-34: 40% have matric or higher, StatsSA 2023

Statistic 46

Brazil NEETs 18-24: 28% tertiary educated, northeast higher mismatch, IBGE 2022

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Australia indigenous NEETs: 50% have VET qualifications unused, ABS 2022

Statistic 48

Canada immigrant NEETs: 35% overqualified with post-secondary degrees, 2023

Statistic 49

Italy southern NEETs: 22% university graduates idle, ISTAT 2023

Statistic 50

Spain NEETs under 25: 18% have vocational training, INE 2023

Statistic 51

Age 25-29 NEETs in Greece: 35% tertiary educated, ELSTAT 2023

Statistic 52

Turkey female NEETs: 40% secondary educated housewives, TurkStat 2022

Statistic 53

Mexico rural NEETs: 60% primary education only, INEGI 2023

Statistic 54

US disconnected youth 16-24: 30% high school dropouts, 20% GED holders, NCES 2022

Statistic 55

UK NEETs ethnic minorities: 25% have A-levels or higher, DfE 2023

Statistic 56

NEET status costs global economy $11.6 trillion annually in lost GDP, 2022 ILO

Statistic 57

Lifetime earnings loss per NEET youth: $200,000-$500,000 discounted, OECD 2022

Statistic 58

Mental health: NEETs 2.5x more likely to suffer depression, WHO 2023

Statistic 59

Poverty risk: 70% NEET households below poverty line, World Bank 2022

Statistic 60

Crime involvement: NEET males 3x more likely to offend, US DOJ 2022

Statistic 61

Fertility delay: Female NEETs have 20% lower birth rates, UN 2023

Statistic 62

Skill atrophy: NEETs lose 1-2% skills yearly out of market, World Bank 2023

Statistic 63

Social isolation: 40% NEETs report no close friends, OECD 2022

Statistic 64

Suicide risk: NEET youth 4x higher rate in Japan, 2022 MHLW

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Intergenerational: Children of NEET parents 2x more likely NEET, UK 2023

Statistic 66

Healthcare costs: NEETs utilize 30% more public health services, EU 2023

Statistic 67

Housing dependency: 60% NEETs live with parents longer, OECD 2022

Statistic 68

Productivity gap: NEET-heavy countries grow 1.5% slower GDP, IMF 2023

Statistic 69

Gender inequality index rises 15% with high female NEET rates, UN 2023

Statistic 70

Obesity rates 25% higher among NEETs due to inactivity, WHO 2022

Statistic 71

Political disengagement: NEETs vote 40% less, Pew 2023

Statistic 72

Globally, the NEET rate for youth aged 15-24 stood at 13.8% in 2022, affecting approximately 65 million young people worldwide

Statistic 73

In the European Union, the average NEET rate for 15-29 year olds was 12.5% in 2023, with 8.9 million individuals classified as NEET

Statistic 74

OECD countries reported a NEET rate of 14.2% for 15-29 year olds in 2022, equating to over 20 million affected youth

Statistic 75

In 2021, India's NEET population aged 15-29 was estimated at 90 million, representing 27.3% of the youth labor force

Statistic 76

Japan's NEET count for 15-34 year olds reached 1.29 million in 2022, or 2.1% of that demographic

Statistic 77

South Africa's NEET rate for 15-34 year olds was 35.1% in Q4 2023, impacting 4.6 million youth

Statistic 78

Brazil had a NEET rate of 24.7% for 18-24 year olds in 2022, affecting 5.2 million individuals

Statistic 79

In Australia, 11.4% of 15-19 year olds were NEET in 2022, totaling 140,000 youth

Statistic 80

Canada's NEET rate for 15-29 year olds was 12.8% in 2023, with 1.1 million affected

Statistic 81

In Italy, the NEET rate hit 22.6% for 15-29 year olds in 2023, the highest in EU, affecting 2.3 million

Statistic 82

Spain's NEET rate for youth was 24.5% in 2022, impacting 1.5 million 15-29 year olds

Statistic 83

Greece reported 26.8% NEET rate for 15-24 year olds in 2023, over 300,000 individuals

Statistic 84

Turkey's NEET rate stood at 29.4% for 15-29 year olds in 2022, affecting 4.8 million youth

Statistic 85

Mexico had 18.2% NEET rate for 15-24 year olds in 2023, totaling 3.9 million

Statistic 86

In the US, 9.6% of 16-24 year olds were NEET in 2022, about 5.8 million

Statistic 87

UK's NEET rate for 16-24 year olds was 11.2% in early 2023, affecting 800,000 youth

Statistic 88

France reported 14.1% NEET rate for 15-29 year olds in 2022, 1.7 million individuals

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Germany's NEET rate was 6.8% for 15-24 year olds in 2023, lowest in EU, 450,000 affected

Statistic 90

In China, urban NEET youth aged 16-24 numbered 11.79 million in mid-2023

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Nigeria's NEET rate for 15-34 year olds estimated at 42.5% in 2022, over 20 million

Statistic 92

In 2022, Latin America's NEET rate averaged 20.1% for 15-24 year olds, 18 million youth

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Sub-Saharan Africa's youth NEET rate was 22.3% in 2021, affecting 50 million 15-24 year olds

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Middle East and North Africa's NEET rate hit 28.2% for females aged 15-24 in 2022

Statistic 95

Southeast Asia's average NEET rate was 11.5% in 2022, impacting 12 million youth

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In 2023, urban India had 28% NEET rate for 15-29 females, 13 million affected

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Russia's NEET rate for 15-29 year olds was 13.4% in 2022, 2.1 million youth

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In South Korea, NEETs aged 15-29 numbered 1.2 million in 2023, 18.5% rate

Statistic 99

Poland's NEET rate dropped to 9.2% in 2023 for 15-29 year olds, 700,000 affected

Statistic 100

In 2022, global female NEET rate was 30.5% vs 12.4% for males aged 15-24

Statistic 101

Females represent 62% of global NEET population aged 15-24 in low-income countries, 2022 data

Statistic 102

NEET rates fell 2% globally from 2019-2023 due to recovery, ILO 2023

Statistic 103

EU Youth Guarantee reduced NEETs by 1.5% in participating states 2014-2023

Statistic 104

Japan's Freeter/NEET support programs cut numbers 10% 2019-2022

Statistic 105

India's Skill India Mission trained 10M youth, reducing NEET by 3% urban 2020-2023

Statistic 106

South Africa's YES program placed 100K NEETs in jobs 2022-2023

Statistic 107

Brazil's Pronatec vocational training lowered NEET 5% in north 2019-2022

Statistic 108

Australia's Try a Trade initiative cut youth NEET 2% 2022-2023

Statistic 109

Canada's Youth Employment Strategy funded 50K placements, NEET down 1% 2023

Statistic 110

Italy's Garanzia Giovani halved long-term NEETs in south 2014-2023

Statistic 111

Spain's dual VET systems reduced NEET 4% post-2020 reforms

Statistic 112

Greece's SYRIZO program reintegrated 50K NEETs 2021-2023

Statistic 113

Turkey's İŞKUR apprenticeships lowered female NEET 6% 2020-2023

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Sources

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Imagine over 65 million young people worldwide—a population larger than Italy—are locked out of both education and employment, a silent crisis hiding in plain sight behind the staggering global NEET rate of 13.8%.

Key Takeaways

Globally, the NEET rate for youth aged 15-24 stood at 13.8% in 2022, affecting approximately 65 million young people worldwide
In the European Union, the average NEET rate for 15-29 year olds was 12.5% in 2023, with 8.9 million individuals classified as NEET
OECD countries reported a NEET rate of 14.2% for 15-29 year olds in 2022, equating to over 20 million affected youth
In OECD, males aged 15-29 have higher NEET rates post-COVID at 15.1% vs 13.3% females in 2022
Globally, 35% of NEETs aged 15-24 are female in high-income countries, but 70% in low-income, 2022
In EU, 54% of NEETs 15-29 are female, with higher rates in southern Europe at 60%, 2023
Family background: 70% of NEETs come from low-income households globally, ILO 2022
Unemployment duration: 40% of NEETs have been out of work/education for over 1 year, OECD 2022
Mental health issues affect 25% of NEET youth as primary cause, WHO 2023 estimate
NEET status costs global economy $11.6 trillion annually in lost GDP, 2022 ILO
Lifetime earnings loss per NEET youth: $200,000-$500,000 discounted, OECD 2022
Mental health: NEETs 2.5x more likely to suffer depression, WHO 2023
NEET rates fell 2% globally from 2019-2023 due to recovery, ILO 2023
EU Youth Guarantee reduced NEETs by 1.5% in participating states 2014-2023
Japan's Freeter/NEET support programs cut numbers 10% 2019-2022

Globally, millions of young people are NEET, with widespread regional variations and persistent gender divides.

Causes

Family background: 70% of NEETs come from low-income households globally, ILO 2022
Unemployment duration: 40% of NEETs have been out of work/education for over 1 year, OECD 2022
Mental health issues affect 25% of NEET youth as primary cause, WHO 2023 estimate
Lack of skills mismatch: 35% NEETs lack digital skills required by jobs, World Bank 2022
Family care responsibilities: 20% of female NEETs cite childcare as reason, ILO 2022
Discrimination: 15% of ethnic minority youth report bias as NEET cause, EU 2023
Poor school performance: 50% NEETs had low grades in secondary, OECD PISA link 2022
COVID-19 impact: NEET rates rose 5% globally due to pandemic school closures, UNESCO 2022
Rural-urban gap: Rural NEET rates 10% higher due to job scarcity, FAO 2023
Overeducation: 22% NEETs with degrees face field mismatch, ILO 2023
Early school leaving: 25% of NEETs dropped out before upper secondary, EU 2023
Health disabilities: 12% NEETs have chronic conditions preventing participation, OECD 2022
Substance abuse: 8% of male NEETs cite addiction as barrier, US data 2022
Housing instability: 18% homeless or at risk among urban NEETs, Habitat 2023
Transport barriers: 10% rural NEETs can't commute to jobs, World Bank 2022
Nepotism in hiring: 14% youth feel connections needed, lacking them causes NEET, Pew 2023
Gender norms: 30% females in MENA discouraged from work, ILO 2022
Economic downturns: Recession increases NEET by 2% per 1% GDP drop, IMF 2023
Automation fears: 20% skilled youth avoid labor market, OECD 2022

Causes Interpretation

The stark portrait of a NEET is a grim collage where poverty’s canvas is layered with systemic cracks in education and health, then varnished with discrimination and a digital skills gap, proving that being left behind is rarely a personal choice but a societal failure.

Demographics

In OECD, males aged 15-29 have higher NEET rates post-COVID at 15.1% vs 13.3% females in 2022
Globally, 35% of NEETs aged 15-24 are female in high-income countries, but 70% in low-income, 2022
In EU, 54% of NEETs 15-29 are female, with higher rates in southern Europe at 60%, 2023
Japan's NEETs 15-34 are 54% male, with freeter-NEETs at 40% male dominance, 2022 Cabinet data
In India, 55% of NEET youth 15-29 are female, urban females at 32% rate, PLFS 2022-23
South Africa's NEETs 15-34 are 52% female, black Africans 95% of total NEETs, Q4 2023
Brazil's NEETs 18-24: 52% female, northeast region 30% female rate highest, IBGE 2022
Australia's NEETs 15-19: 51% female, indigenous youth 25% NEET rate, ABS 2022
Canada's NEETs 15-29: 48% male higher due to incarceration, immigrant NEET 18%, StatCan 2023
Italy's NEETs 15-29: 51% female, southern Italy 65% female share, ISTAT 2023
Spain NEETs: females 55%, under 25 females 28% rate, INE 2023
Greece NEETs 15-24: 53% female, rural areas 70% female, ELSTAT 2023
Turkey NEETs 15-29: 65% female, Kurdish regions 80% female, TurkStat 2022
Mexico NEETs 15-24: 52% female, indigenous 35% rate, INEGI 2023
US NEETs 16-24: 51% female, black youth 22% NEET rate, NCES 2022
UK NEETs 16-24: 48% male, ethnic minorities 18% rate vs 9% white, DfE 2023
France NEETs 15-29: 52% female, suburbs 25% rate for immigrants, INSEE 2022
Germany NEETs 15-24: 49% male, migrants 20% NEET rate, Destatis 2023
China urban NEETs 16-24: 55% female, college grads 30% share, NBS 2023
Nigeria NEETs 15-34: 60% female, northern regions 70%, NBS 2022
Globally, 40% of NEETs have low education levels (below upper secondary), 2022 ILO
In EU, 45% NEETs lack upper secondary education, 30% have tertiary but still NEET, Eurostat 2023
Low-skilled youth (ISCED 0-2) comprise 55% of OECD NEETs 15-29, OECD 2022
High education paradox: 25% of NEETs in Japan have university degrees, 2022
In India, 35% NEETs 15-29 have secondary or higher education, PLFS 2022
Urban NEETs in South Africa 15-34: 40% have matric or higher, StatsSA 2023
Brazil NEETs 18-24: 28% tertiary educated, northeast higher mismatch, IBGE 2022
Australia indigenous NEETs: 50% have VET qualifications unused, ABS 2022
Canada immigrant NEETs: 35% overqualified with post-secondary degrees, 2023
Italy southern NEETs: 22% university graduates idle, ISTAT 2023
Spain NEETs under 25: 18% have vocational training, INE 2023
Age 25-29 NEETs in Greece: 35% tertiary educated, ELSTAT 2023
Turkey female NEETs: 40% secondary educated housewives, TurkStat 2022
Mexico rural NEETs: 60% primary education only, INEGI 2023
US disconnected youth 16-24: 30% high school dropouts, 20% GED holders, NCES 2022
UK NEETs ethnic minorities: 25% have A-levels or higher, DfE 2023

Demographics Interpretation

The global NEET crisis reveals a persistent, dual injustice: while the burden falls predominantly on women in developing nations due to entrenched gender roles, it paradoxically spares neither gender in affluent countries, where even the highly educated are not immune to being sidelined by economies that fail to harness their potential.

Impacts

NEET status costs global economy $11.6 trillion annually in lost GDP, 2022 ILO
Lifetime earnings loss per NEET youth: $200,000-$500,000 discounted, OECD 2022
Mental health: NEETs 2.5x more likely to suffer depression, WHO 2023
Poverty risk: 70% NEET households below poverty line, World Bank 2022
Crime involvement: NEET males 3x more likely to offend, US DOJ 2022
Fertility delay: Female NEETs have 20% lower birth rates, UN 2023
Skill atrophy: NEETs lose 1-2% skills yearly out of market, World Bank 2023
Social isolation: 40% NEETs report no close friends, OECD 2022
Suicide risk: NEET youth 4x higher rate in Japan, 2022 MHLW
Intergenerational: Children of NEET parents 2x more likely NEET, UK 2023
Healthcare costs: NEETs utilize 30% more public health services, EU 2023
Housing dependency: 60% NEETs live with parents longer, OECD 2022
Productivity gap: NEET-heavy countries grow 1.5% slower GDP, IMF 2023
Gender inequality index rises 15% with high female NEET rates, UN 2023
Obesity rates 25% higher among NEETs due to inactivity, WHO 2022
Political disengagement: NEETs vote 40% less, Pew 2023

Impacts Interpretation

To truly grasp the immense cost of disengaged youth, consider this: behind the staggering annual $11.6 trillion global economic drain lies a cascade of profound human suffering—from shattered mental health and entrenched poverty to fractured communities and stolen futures—proving that when we fail our young people, we impoverish our societies in every conceivable way.

Prevalence and Numbers

Globally, the NEET rate for youth aged 15-24 stood at 13.8% in 2022, affecting approximately 65 million young people worldwide
In the European Union, the average NEET rate for 15-29 year olds was 12.5% in 2023, with 8.9 million individuals classified as NEET
OECD countries reported a NEET rate of 14.2% for 15-29 year olds in 2022, equating to over 20 million affected youth
In 2021, India's NEET population aged 15-29 was estimated at 90 million, representing 27.3% of the youth labor force
Japan's NEET count for 15-34 year olds reached 1.29 million in 2022, or 2.1% of that demographic
South Africa's NEET rate for 15-34 year olds was 35.1% in Q4 2023, impacting 4.6 million youth
Brazil had a NEET rate of 24.7% for 18-24 year olds in 2022, affecting 5.2 million individuals
In Australia, 11.4% of 15-19 year olds were NEET in 2022, totaling 140,000 youth
Canada's NEET rate for 15-29 year olds was 12.8% in 2023, with 1.1 million affected
In Italy, the NEET rate hit 22.6% for 15-29 year olds in 2023, the highest in EU, affecting 2.3 million
Spain's NEET rate for youth was 24.5% in 2022, impacting 1.5 million 15-29 year olds
Greece reported 26.8% NEET rate for 15-24 year olds in 2023, over 300,000 individuals
Turkey's NEET rate stood at 29.4% for 15-29 year olds in 2022, affecting 4.8 million youth
Mexico had 18.2% NEET rate for 15-24 year olds in 2023, totaling 3.9 million
In the US, 9.6% of 16-24 year olds were NEET in 2022, about 5.8 million
UK's NEET rate for 16-24 year olds was 11.2% in early 2023, affecting 800,000 youth
France reported 14.1% NEET rate for 15-29 year olds in 2022, 1.7 million individuals
Germany's NEET rate was 6.8% for 15-24 year olds in 2023, lowest in EU, 450,000 affected
In China, urban NEET youth aged 16-24 numbered 11.79 million in mid-2023
Nigeria's NEET rate for 15-34 year olds estimated at 42.5% in 2022, over 20 million
In 2022, Latin America's NEET rate averaged 20.1% for 15-24 year olds, 18 million youth
Sub-Saharan Africa's youth NEET rate was 22.3% in 2021, affecting 50 million 15-24 year olds
Middle East and North Africa's NEET rate hit 28.2% for females aged 15-24 in 2022
Southeast Asia's average NEET rate was 11.5% in 2022, impacting 12 million youth
In 2023, urban India had 28% NEET rate for 15-29 females, 13 million affected
Russia's NEET rate for 15-29 year olds was 13.4% in 2022, 2.1 million youth
In South Korea, NEETs aged 15-29 numbered 1.2 million in 2023, 18.5% rate
Poland's NEET rate dropped to 9.2% in 2023 for 15-29 year olds, 700,000 affected
In 2022, global female NEET rate was 30.5% vs 12.4% for males aged 15-24
Females represent 62% of global NEET population aged 15-24 in low-income countries, 2022 data

Prevalence and Numbers Interpretation

The world’s youth is dangerously adrift, with a sobering global NEET rate of 13.8% proving that millions of young lives are being parked in a disheartening limbo of disengagement and unrealized potential.

Trends and Policies

NEET rates fell 2% globally from 2019-2023 due to recovery, ILO 2023
EU Youth Guarantee reduced NEETs by 1.5% in participating states 2014-2023
Japan's Freeter/NEET support programs cut numbers 10% 2019-2022
India's Skill India Mission trained 10M youth, reducing NEET by 3% urban 2020-2023
South Africa's YES program placed 100K NEETs in jobs 2022-2023
Brazil's Pronatec vocational training lowered NEET 5% in north 2019-2022
Australia's Try a Trade initiative cut youth NEET 2% 2022-2023
Canada's Youth Employment Strategy funded 50K placements, NEET down 1% 2023
Italy's Garanzia Giovani halved long-term NEETs in south 2014-2023
Spain's dual VET systems reduced NEET 4% post-2020 reforms
Greece's SYRIZO program reintegrated 50K NEETs 2021-2023
Turkey's İŞKUR apprenticeships lowered female NEET 6% 2020-2023

Trends and Policies Interpretation

The world is slowly chipping away at the NEET crisis, proving that targeted investments in skills and support, from Italy's halving of long-term youth disengagement to Turkey's progress with young women, can actually move the needle, however incrementally, on this stubborn global problem.