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Economy & jobs Statistics · Country

Youth unemployment in China

1991 – 2025 · 35 data points 17 of 41 · Countries Updated Oct 21, 2026

Source: World Bank — World Development Indicators, 1991 – 2025

Youth unemployment, 1991 – 2025 percent · China · World
+5.1 pp since 2015
China World

Source: World Bank — World Development Indicators, 1991 – 2025

Compared with Youth unemployment · percent
China
15.8%
World
13.4%

Source: World Bank — World Development Indicators

The series at a glance China · 1991 – 2025
Latest value 15.8% · 2025
First value 4.4% · 1991
Highest 15.8% · 2025
Lowest 4.4% · 1991
Data points 35

By year

All years · 1991 – 2025

YearChinaChange World
2025 15.8% +0.8 pp 13.4%
2024 15.0% −0.5 pp 13.3%
2023 15.6% +0.9 pp 13.4%
2022 14.7% +2.3 pp 14.1%
2021 12.4% −0.2 pp 15.7%
2020 12.6% +2.0 pp 17.1%
2019 10.7% +1.0 pp 15.3%
2018 9.7% −0.8 pp 15.9%
2017 10.4% −0.1 pp 16.1%
2016 10.6% −0.1 pp 16.0%
2015 10.7% +0.2 pp 16.0%
2014 10.5% +0.2 pp 15.6%
2013 10.3% +0.2 pp 15.7%
2012 10.2% +0.2 pp 15.7%
2011 10.0% +0.2 pp 15.3%
2010 9.8% −0.3 pp 15.2%
2009 10.2% +0.3 pp 15.3%
2008 9.8% +0.6 pp 14.3%
2007 9.2% −0.1 pp 14.2%
2006 9.3% −0.2 pp 14.5%
2005 9.5% +0.1 pp 14.9%
2004 9.4% −0.2 pp 14.8%
2003 9.6% +0.7 pp 15.0%
2002 8.9% +0.9 pp 14.9%
2001 8.0% +1.2 pp 14.5%
2000 6.8% +0.1 pp 14.3%
1999 6.8% +0.1 pp 14.4%
1998 6.7% +0.1 pp 14.1%
1997 6.6% +0.3 pp 13.7%
1996 6.3% +0.3 pp 13.6%
1995 5.9% +0.3 pp 13.4%
1994 5.6% +0.5 pp 13.0%
1993 5.1% +0.7 pp 12.4%
1992 4.4% +0.1 pp 11.8%
1991 4.4% 11.5%

Source: World Bank — World Development Indicators, 1991 – 2025

Ranking · Countries

2025 · Place 1 is the highest value.

#TerritoryYouth unemployment
1 Congo - Brazzaville 40.5%
2 Gabon 36.3%
3 Yemen 32.6%
4 Algeria 29.4%
5 Spain 24.7%
6 Romania 24.5%
7 Chile 21.6%
8 Finland 21.5%
9 Greece 21.4%
10 Italy 20.5%
11 Argentina 19.2%
12 France 18.9%
13 Egypt 18.3%
14 Colombia 17.7%
15 Türkiye 16.0%
16 India 16.0%
17 China 15.8%
18 United Kingdom 14.6%
19 Brazil 14.0%
20 Canada 13.8%
21 Lithuania 13.8%
22 Norway 13.4%
23 Indonesia 13.0%
24 Poland 10.7%
25 Bulgaria 10.2%
26 Saudi Arabia 10.0%
27 Bangladesh 9.4%
28 United States 9.3%
29 Czechia 9.2%
30 Hong Kong SAR China 9.0%
31 Netherlands 8.8%
32 Honduras 8.5%
33 Ecuador 8.2%
34 Congo - Kinshasa 7.8%
35 Russia 7.6%
36 Philippines 7.0%
37 Germany 6.9%
38 South Korea 6.7%
39 Mexico 5.7%
40 Sierra Leone 3.7%
41 Liberia 2.3%

Source: World Bank — World Development Indicators, 2025

What it means

The unemployment rate among young people aged 15–24.

How it is calculated

Unemployed people aged 15–24 divided by the labour force of the same age.