Young people neither in employment nor in education: Which European countries are worst affected?

Young group are cardinal drivers of societal and economical change. They are nan quality superior of each country. Yet, successful Europe, galore young group are ‘neither successful employment nor successful acquisition aliases training’ (NEET). 

In 2024, 11% of group aged 15 to 29 successful nan EU were NEET. The EU wants to trim this fig to beneath 9% by 2030. Yet, arsenic of 2024, only 11 retired of 34 European countries person already met this target.

NEET rates alteration wide crossed Europe. In immoderate countries, nan gender spread is particularly large. So, which countries person nan highest rates of young group who are neither successful employment nor successful acquisition aliases training? 

Where successful Europe has nan astir young group ‘neither successful employment nor successful acquisition aliases training'?

According to Eurostat, nan stock of young NEETs successful nan EU ranged from 4.9% successful nan Netherlands to 19.4% successful Romania successful 2024. 

“Poor acquisition outcomes of young group are a awesome interest successful Romania and are 1 main driver of nan precocious stock of young group not successful employment, acquisition aliases training,” nan OECD’s 2025 Romania study finds.

When EU campaigner countries, nan UK and EFTA states are included, Turkey records nan highest rate. More than 1 successful 4 young group location (25.9%) are NEET. Bosnia and Herzegovina follows pinch 22.2%. Both countries are EU candidates. 

In general, Southern and Southeastern Europe person overmuch higher NEET rates, while Northern and Western Europe mostly execute better.

In summation to Turkey and Bosnia and Herzegovina, respective countries are supra nan EU average. These see Romania (19.4%), Italy (15.2%), Serbia (14.9%), Lithuania (14.7%), Greece (14.2%) and Bulgaria (12.7%).

Among Europe’s 5 largest economies, 4 recorded NEET rates supra nan EU average: Italy (15.2%), France (12.5%), nan UK (12.1%) and Spain (12%).

Germany has nan lowest rate, pinch 8.5% of young group classified arsenic NEET.

Besides nan Netherlands (4.9%), different beardown performers see Iceland (5.0%), Sweden (6.3%), Norway (6.8%), Malta (7.2%), arsenic good arsenic Ireland and Slovenia (both 7.6%). These countries show occurrence successful helping young group find a pathway.

The spread betwixt countries is striking. Turkey’s complaint is much than 5 times that of nan Netherlands. Mehmet Ozan Özdemir and his colleagues (2023), academics who analysed nan NEET Turkey data, suggested that skills-gap aliases skills-mismatch is 1 of nan main causes of precocious NEET complaint successful Turkey. 

“There seems to beryllium a ample spread betwixt nan skills demanded by nan labour market and nan skills acquired by students successful universities,” OECD’s Turkey table told Euronews Business, explaining nan high unemployment rates among assemblage graduates.

OECD’s 2025 study besides highlights Turkey’s comparatively debased stock of graduates successful science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM). The study calls for much labour-market applicable courses.

Gender spread outliers: Turkey, Romania and Czechia

The gender spread successful NEET rates is striking successful immoderate countries. Overall, men person little rates than women. On mean successful nan EU, 10% of young men are NEET compared pinch 12.1% of young women. This equals a spread of 2.1 percent points (pp), aliases 21%.

Three countries are clear outliers. In Turkey, 15.8% of young men are NEET compared pinch 36.4% of young women. This represents a spread of 20.6 pp, aliases 130% much among women.

In Romania, nan rates are 14% for men and 25.2% for women—an 11.2 constituent gap, aliases 80% more. In Czechia, only 3.9% of young men are NEET compared pinch 13.3% of women. That is simply a 9.4 pp gap, aliases 241% more.

Of 32 countries, nan NEET complaint is really higher among men than women successful only 5 countries. This includes Sweden, Finland, Norway, Estonia and Belgium. The Nordic countries predominate this trend.

In Hungary, Poland and Slovakia, nan NEET complaint among women is besides much than 40% higher than among men.

Unemployed aliases extracurricular nan labour force?

There are 2 main reasons down NEET rates: young group are either unemployed aliases extracurricular nan labour force. In astir countries, nan stock extracurricular nan labour unit is higher than nan stock unemployed, pinch only 3 exceptions. Across nan EU, nan mean is 4.2% unemployed compared pinch 6.9% extracurricular nan labour force.

Outside nan labour unit refers to nan group who are not employed and are either not actively seeking activity aliases not disposable to work. They are besides known arsenic economically inactive population, according to nan International Labour Organization.

Higher shares of young group extracurricular nan labour unit push NEET rates up. In Turkey, 1 successful 5 young group (20%) are extracurricular nan labour force. This drives Turkey to nan highest wide NEET rate, moreover though nan charismatic unemployment complaint among 15–29 twelvemonth olds is only 5.9%.

The aforesaid shape appears successful Romania, wherever 5.4% are unemployed compared pinch 14% extracurricular nan labour force. In Italy, Lithuania and Bulgaria, nan stock extracurricular nan labour unit is 10% aliases above.

Young women successful Turkey near astir extracurricular nan labour force

Data shows that young female NEETs are much apt to beryllium extracurricular nan labour unit than young men, pinch only 1 exception—Estonia.

In nan EU, nan shares are 8.5% for women and 5.3% for men. In Turkey, nan spread is dramatic: almost 1 successful 3 young women (30.5%) aged 15–29 who are not successful acquisition are extracurricular nan labour force. The complaint is besides precocious successful Romania, astatine 21%.

Why is this nan lawsuit successful Turkey? According to a 2023 study by Mehmet Ozan Özdemir and colleagues, being female and joined greatly increases nan consequence of becoming NEET. Traditional family duties specified arsenic housework, childcare, and caring for nan sick aliases aged raise nan likelihood that joined women will beryllium NEET.