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

2022 · Place 1 is the highest value.

#TerritoryYouth unemployment
1 Congo - Brazzaville 41.2%
2 Gabon 36.6%
3 Yemen 32.5%
4 Algeria 31.4%
5 Greece 31.3%
6 Spain 29.7%
7 Italy 23.7%
8 Lebanon 22.9%
9 Romania 22.9%
10 Colombia 21.0%
11 Brazil 20.7%
12 Türkiye 19.3%
13 Argentina 19.0%
14 Chile 18.3%
15 France 17.9%
16 India 17.7%
17 Egypt 16.3%
18 Saudi Arabia 16.0%
19 China 14.7%
20 Russia 14.4%
21 Finland 14.1%
22 Indonesia 14.1%
23 Honduras 13.6%
24 Lithuania 11.9%
25 Hong Kong SAR China 11.0%
26 Bangladesh 11.0%
27 United Kingdom 10.6%
28 Bulgaria 10.6%
29 Poland 10.6%
30 Canada 10.1%
31 Norway 9.9%
32 Ecuador 8.3%
33 United States 8.1%
34 Congo - Kinshasa 8.1%
35 Netherlands 7.6%
36 Philippines 6.8%
37 Czechia 6.7%
38 South Korea 6.6%
39 Mexico 6.5%
40 Germany 6.0%
41 Sierra Leone 3.5%
42 Liberia 2.2%

Source: World Bank — World Development Indicators, 2022

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.