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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

2019 · Place 1 is the highest value.

#TerritoryYouth unemployment
42 Liberia 2.3%
41 Sierra Leone 3.6%
40 Czechia 5.6%
39 Germany 5.9%
38 Netherlands 6.6%
37 Philippines 6.7%
36 Mexico 7.2%
35 Congo - Kinshasa 8.2%
34 United States 8.4%
33 Hong Kong SAR China 8.5%
32 Ecuador 8.7%
31 Bulgaria 8.8%
30 Norway 9.8%
29 South Korea 9.8%
28 Poland 9.8%
27 China 10.7%
26 United Kingdom 10.7%
25 Canada 10.7%
24 Honduras 10.8%
23 Bangladesh 11.7%
22 Lithuania 11.8%
21 Indonesia 13.6%
20 Russia 15.2%
19 Finland 17.1%
18 Romania 17.1%
17 Chile 19.0%
16 France 19.9%
15 Egypt 20.6%
14 Colombia 20.7%
13 India 22.9%
12 Lebanon 23.3%
11 Türkiye 25.0%
10 Saudi Arabia 25.5%
9 Argentina 25.8%
8 Brazil 27.1%
7 Italy 29.1%
6 Algeria 31.2%
5 Yemen 32.3%
4 Spain 32.6%
3 Greece 34.8%
2 Gabon 36.7%
1 Congo - Brazzaville 42.0%

Source: World Bank — World Development Indicators, 2019

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.