Distribution of young adults' education and work status, for a given level of educational attainment, age group and gender — Population by country
This dataset contains data on the distribution of young adults by education and work status. The default table displays 2025 data (or the latest available year) on the distribution of 18-24 year-olds in education/not in education, by their work status (e.g. employed or not employed). Young adults who are neither...
What the numbers show
Distribution of young adults' education and work status, for a given level of educational attainment, age group and gender — Population is currently reported for 40 countries. The highest value is 62.62 Percentage of population in the same subgroup in Netherlands; the lowest is 0.311 Percentage of population in the same subgroup in South Africa.
The median across all reporting countries is 10.7 Percentage of population in the same subgroup, and the mean is 15.26 Percentage of population in the same subgroup.
The gap between the highest and lowest reporting country is a factor of about 201.
Over the past decade 28 countries rose and 12 fell. The largest increase was in Hungary (up 1,040.5%), and the largest decrease in Costa Rica (down 68.9%).
Distribution of young adults' education and work status, for a given: full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Netherlands | 62.62 Percentage of population in the same subgroup | 2025 | up 18.7% | rising |
| 1 | Iceland | 45.27 Percentage of population in the same subgroup | 2023 | up 2.8% | flat |
| 2 | Switzerland | 41.73 Percentage of population in the same subgroup | 2025 | down 3.8% | flat |
| 2 | Türkiye | 15.2 Percentage of population in the same subgroup | 2025 | up 74.6% | volatile |
| 3 | Norway | 41.21 Percentage of population in the same subgroup | 2025 | up 102.0% | rising |
| 4 | Denmark | 38.09 Percentage of population in the same subgroup | 2025 | up 11.1% | falling |
| 4 | Estonia | 5.22 Percentage of population in the same subgroup | 2025 | down 9.1% | volatile |
| 5 | Australia | 37.66 Percentage of population in the same subgroup | 2025 | up 9.4% | rising |
| 5 | Slovenia | 4.53 Percentage of population in the same subgroup | 2025 | down 35.7% | falling |
| 6 | Austria | 26.07 Percentage of population in the same subgroup | 2025 | down 4.5% | falling |
| 6 | Poland | 2.85 Percentage of population in the same subgroup | 2025 | up 32.6% | falling |
| 7 | Canada | 25.14 Percentage of population in the same subgroup | 2025 | down 8.3% | rising |
| 7 | Latvia | 2.38 Percentage of population in the same subgroup | 2025 | up 272.7% | volatile |
| 8 | Germany | 22.9 Percentage of population in the same subgroup | 2025 | up 1.1% | flat |
| 8 | Lithuania | 1.3 Percentage of population in the same subgroup | 2025 | up 21.5% | volatile |
| 9 | United Kingdom | 22.63 Percentage of population in the same subgroup | 2025 | up 13.7% | falling |
| 10 | New Zealand | 21.7 Percentage of population in the same subgroup | 2025 | down 4.9% | falling |
| 11 | Ireland | 20.66 Percentage of population in the same subgroup | 2025 | up 291.0% | rising |
| 12 | United States | 20.19 Percentage of population in the same subgroup | 2025 | up 13.2% | falling |
| 13 | Finland | 17.21 Percentage of population in the same subgroup | 2025 | up 37.1% | rising |
| 14 | OECD | 15.45 Percentage of population in the same subgroup | 2024 | up 13.6% | falling |
| 15 | Sweden | 15.04 Percentage of population in the same subgroup | 2025 | up 18.3% | rising |
| 16 | Brazil | 14.49 Percentage of population in the same subgroup | 2024 | down 14.4% | falling |
| 17 | Peru | 14.23 Percentage of population in the same subgroup | 2025 | down 11.6% | falling |
| 18 | Belgium | 11.29 Percentage of population in the same subgroup | 2025 | up 253.8% | volatile |
| 19 | France | 10.11 Percentage of population in the same subgroup | 2024 | up 58.3% | rising |
| 20 | Japan | 8.89 Percentage of population in the same subgroup | 2014 | up 11.8% | rising |
| 21 | Mexico | 8.88 Percentage of population in the same subgroup | 2025 | down 10.2% | rising |
| 22 | Luxembourg | 8.12 Percentage of population in the same subgroup | 2018 | up 51.3% | rising |
| 23 | Israel | 7.72 Percentage of population in the same subgroup | 2025 | up 15.8% | rising |
| 24 | Colombia | 5.16 Percentage of population in the same subgroup | 2025 | down 53.7% | falling |
| 25 | Spain | 3.02 Percentage of population in the same subgroup | 2025 | up 115.0% | flat |
| 26 | Chile | 2.91 Percentage of population in the same subgroup | 2024 | down 28.1% | falling |
| 27 | Portugal | 2.5 Percentage of population in the same subgroup | 2024 | up 93.2% | flat |
| 28 | Costa Rica | 2.28 Percentage of population in the same subgroup | 2025 | down 68.9% | falling |
| 29 | Czechia | 1.87 Percentage of population in the same subgroup | 2025 | up 90.6% | volatile |
| 30 | Greece | 1.53 Percentage of population in the same subgroup | 2025 | up 149.9% | falling |
| 31 | Hungary | 1.38 Percentage of population in the same subgroup | 2025 | up 1,040.5% | volatile |
| 32 | Italy | 0.6159 Percentage of population in the same subgroup | 2025 | up 158.1% | volatile |
| 33 | South Africa | 0.311 Percentage of population in the same subgroup | 2025 | up 27.0% | flat |
Regions and income groups
Aggregates are excluded from the country ranking above so that a region can never outrank a country.
- Slovak Republic 2.14 Percentage of population in the same subgroup
- European Union (25 countries) 11.89 Percentage of population in the same subgroup
About this data
This dataset contains data on the distribution of young adults by education and work status. The default table displays 2025 data (or the latest available year) on the distribution of 18-24 year-olds in education/not in education, by their work status (e.g. employed or not employed). Young adults who are neither employed nor in formal education and training are also called NEET. The selection can be changed to display data by educational attainment, by detailed education and work status and by age group. Data for the latest available year are preliminary. Final data will be released on September 29, 2026. For more information, please consult the Education at a Glance web page and the OECD Handbook for Internationally Comparative Education Statistics: Concepts, Standards, Definitions and Classifications.