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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

2020 · Place 1 is the highest value.

#TerritoryYouth unemployment
42 Liberia 2.9%
41 Sierra Leone 4.1%
40 Philippines 7.0%
39 Germany 7.9%
38 Czechia 7.9%
37 Mexico 8.1%
36 Netherlands 8.9%
35 Congo - Kinshasa 9.6%
34 South Korea 10.1%
33 Poland 10.8%
32 Ecuador 11.1%
31 Norway 11.2%
30 China 12.6%
29 United Kingdom 13.4%
28 Bangladesh 13.5%
27 Bulgaria 14.1%
26 Indonesia 14.8%
25 United States 14.9%
24 Hong Kong SAR China 15.5%
23 Russia 17.0%
22 Honduras 17.1%
21 Romania 17.6%
20 Egypt 18.5%
19 Lithuania 19.6%
18 Canada 20.1%
17 France 20.4%
16 Finland 21.2%
15 Chile 24.4%
14 India 24.7%
13 Türkiye 24.9%
12 Lebanon 26.6%
11 Colombia 27.2%
10 Saudi Arabia 29.6%
9 Italy 29.6%
8 Brazil 30.3%
7 Argentina 30.4%
6 Greece 33.7%
5 Yemen 34.5%
4 Algeria 35.8%
3 Spain 38.3%
2 Gabon 39.7%
1 Congo - Brazzaville 46.7%

Source: World Bank — World Development Indicators, 2020

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.