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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

2018 · Place 1 is the highest value.

#TerritoryYouth unemployment
42 Liberia 2.3%
41 Sierra Leone 3.6%
40 Germany 6.2%
39 Philippines 6.6%
38 Czechia 6.7%
37 Mexico 6.8%
36 Netherlands 7.0%
35 Ecuador 8.0%
34 Congo - Kinshasa 8.3%
33 United States 8.6%
32 Hong Kong SAR China 8.7%
31 Norway 9.6%
30 China 9.7%
29 South Korea 10.1%
28 Honduras 10.5%
27 Canada 10.7%
26 Lithuania 11.1%
25 United Kingdom 11.6%
24 Poland 11.7%
23 Bangladesh 11.9%
22 Bulgaria 12.7%
21 Indonesia 16.4%
20 Romania 16.6%
19 Finland 17.0%
18 Russia 17.0%
17 Chile 18.1%
16 Colombia 19.4%
15 Türkiye 20.0%
14 France 21.0%
13 Lebanon 22.7%
12 Argentina 23.8%
11 India 26.0%
10 Egypt 26.3%
9 Brazil 28.0%
8 Saudi Arabia 30.2%
7 Algeria 30.7%
6 Italy 32.2%
5 Yemen 32.7%
4 Spain 34.4%
3 Gabon 36.8%
2 Greece 40.0%
1 Congo - Brazzaville 42.7%

Source: World Bank — World Development Indicators, 2018

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.