| Code | SL.UEM.NEET.FE.ZS |
| Indicator Name | Share of youth not in education, employment or training, female (% of female youth population) |
| Short definition | The share of youth not in education, employment or training (also known as “the NEET rate”) conveys the number of young persons not in education, employment or training as a percentage of the total youth population. Youth not in education are those who were neither enrolled in school nor in a formal training program (e.g. vocational training). For the purposes of this indicator, youth is defined as all persons between the ages of 15 and 24 (inclusive). |
| Long definition | The share of youth not in education, employment or training (also known as “the NEET rate”) conveys the number of young persons not in education, employment or training as a percentage of the total youth population. Youth not in education are those who were neither enrolled in school nor in a formal training program (e.g. vocational training). For the purposes of this indicator, youth is defined as all persons between the ages of 15 and 24 (inclusive). |
| Source | Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO), uri: https://ilostat.ilo.org/data/bulk/, publisher: ILOSTAT, type: external database, date accessed: September 25, 2025 |
| Topic | Social Protection & Labor: Unemployment |
| Dataset | WDI |
| Unit of measure | % of female youth population |
| Periodicity | Annual |
| Reference period | 1970-2023 |
| Aggregation method | Weighted average |
| Statistical concept and methodology | Methodology: The youth NEET rate is calculated as follows: NEET rate = (Youth – Youth in employment – Youth not in employment but in education or training) / Youth x 100.
It is important to note here that youth both in employment and education or training simultaneously should not be double counted when subtracted from the total number of youth. The formula can also be expressed as: NEET rate = [(Unemployed youth + Youth outside the labor force) – (Unemployed youth in education or training + Youth outside the labor force in education or training)] / Youth x 100.
The calculation of this indicator requires having reliable information on both the labor market status and the participation in education or training of youth. The quality of such information is heavily dependent on the questionnaire design, the sample size and design and the accuracy of respondents' answers. To avoid misinterpreting this indicator, it is important to bear in mind that it is composed of two different sub-groups (unemployed youth not in education or training and youth outside the labor force not in education or training). The prevalence and composition of each sub-group would have policy implications, and thus should also be considered when analyzing the NEET rate.
The preferred official national data source for this indicator is a household-based labor force survey. In the absence of a labor force survey, a population census and/or other type of household survey with an appropriate employment module may be used to obtain the required data.
Statistical concept(s): For the purposes of these indicators, persons will be considered in education if they are in formal or non-formal education, but excluding informal learning.
Employment comprises all persons of working age who during a specified brief period, such as one week or one day, were in the following categories: a) paid employment (whether at work or with a job but not at work); or b) self-employment (whether at work or with an enterprise but not at work).
Persons are considered to be in training if they are in a nonacademic learning activity through which they acquire specific skills intended for vocational or technical jobs. Vocational training prepares trainees for jobs that are based on manual or practical activities, and for skilled operative jobs, both blue and white collar related to a specific trade, occupation or vocation. Technical training on the other hand imparts learning that can be applied in intermediate-level jobs, in particular those of technicians and middle managers. The coverage of vocational and technical training includes only programmes that are solely school-based vocational and technical training. Employer-based training is, by definition, excluded from the scope of this indicator. |
| Development relevance | Unemployment and total employment are the broadest indicators of economic activity as reflected by the labor market. The International Labour Organization(ILO) defines the unemployed as members of the economically active population who are without work but available for and seeking work, including people who have lost their jobs or who have voluntarily left work. Some unemployment is unavoidable. At any time some workers are temporarily unemployed - between jobs as employers look for the right workers and workers search for better jobs. Such unemployment, often called frictional unemployment, results from the normal operation of labor markets.
Youth unemployment is an important policy issue for many economies. Young men and women today face increasing uncertainty in their hopes of undergoing a satisfactory transition in the labour market, and this uncertainty and disillusionment can, in turn, have damaging effects on individuals, communities, economies and society at large. Unemployed or underemployed youth are less able to contribute effectively to national development and have fewer opportunities to exercise their rights as citizens. They have less to spend as consumers, less to invest as savers and often have no "voice" to bring about change in their lives and communities. Widespread youth unemployment and underemployment also prevents companies and countries from innovating and developing competitive advantages based on human capital investment, thus undermining future prospects.
The NEET group is particularly at risk of both labour market and social exclusion, because this group is neither improving their future employability through investment in skills nor gaining experience through employment, . In addition, the NEET group is already in a disadvantaged position due to lower levels of education and lower household incomes. In view of the fact that the NEET group includes unemployed youth as well as economically inactive youth, the NEET rate provides important complementray information to labour force participation rates and unemploymenent rates. For example, if youth participation rates decrease during an economic downturn due to discouragement, this may be reflected in an upward movement in the NEET rate. More generally, a high NEET rate and a low youth unemployment may indicate significant discouragement of young people. A high NEET rate for young women suggests their engagement in household chores, and/or the presence of strong institutional barriers limiting female participation in labour markets. |
| Limitations and exceptions | When differing from international standards, the operational criteria used to define employment and the participation in education or training will naturally affect the comparability of the resulting statistics, as will the coverage of the source of statistics (geographical coverage, population coverage, age coverage, etc.). NEET rates are calculated preferably for youth defined as persons aged 15 to 24, but when studying these rates it is important to keep in mind that not all persons complete their education by the age of 24. |
| License URL | https://datacatalog.worldbank.org/public-licenses#cc-by |
| License Type | CC BY-4.0 |
| |