Thursday, October 22 Beijing
  1. Home
  2. Statistics
  3. China
  4. Economy & jobs
  5. Youth unemployment
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

2021 · Place 1 is the highest value.

#TerritoryYouth unemployment
1 Congo - Brazzaville 44.7%
2 Gabon 38.2%
3 Greece 35.4%
4 Spain 35.0%
5 Yemen 34.1%
6 Algeria 33.8%
7 Italy 29.7%
8 Brazil 28.3%
9 Lebanon 25.2%
10 Colombia 24.8%
11 Argentina 23.4%
12 Türkiye 22.4%
13 Romania 21.1%
14 India 20.8%
15 Chile 20.5%
16 Saudi Arabia 19.8%
17 France 19.3%
18 Egypt 18.2%
19 Finland 17.1%
20 Russia 16.1%
21 Bulgaria 15.7%
22 Lithuania 14.3%
23 Honduras 14.3%
24 Indonesia 13.8%
25 Canada 13.6%
26 United Kingdom 12.9%
27 Norway 12.8%
28 Hong Kong SAR China 12.8%
29 Bangladesh 12.7%
30 China 12.4%
31 Poland 11.8%
32 United States 9.7%
33 Netherlands 9.3%
34 Congo - Kinshasa 9.2%
35 Ecuador 9.1%
36 Philippines 8.4%
37 Czechia 8.1%
38 South Korea 8.1%
39 Mexico 7.6%
40 Germany 6.7%
41 Sierra Leone 3.9%
42 Liberia 2.8%

Source: World Bank — World Development Indicators, 2021

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.