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

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.