EU countries by young people not in employment, education or training (NEET), ages 15 to 29

Italy had the highest young people not in employment, education or training (NEET), ages 15 to 29 of 27 EU countries in 2015, at 25.7%. The Netherlands had the lowest, at 6.7%. The median was 13.8% and the figure for the European Union (27) was 15.2%. Source: Eurostat, European Commission.

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Highest25.7Italy
Lowest6.7Netherlands
Median13.827 EU countries
European Union (27)15.2History

Map of EU countries, 2015

Austria: 8.7 %Belgium: 14.4 %Bulgaria: 22.2 %Cyprus: 18.5 %Czechia: 11.8 %Germany: 8.5 %Denmark: 8.5 %Estonia: 13.2 %Spain: 19.4 %Finland: 12.4 %France: 14.7 %Greece: 24.1 %Croatia: 19.8 %Hungary: 15.1 %Ireland: 16.5 %Italy: 25.7 %Lithuania: 11.8 %Luxembourg: 7.6 %Latvia: 13.8 %Malta: 11.8 %Netherlands: 6.7 %Poland: 14.6 %Portugal: 13.1 %Romania: 20.9 %Sweden: 7.4 %Slovenia: 12.3 %Slovakia: 17.2 %
  • Under 9.3
  • 9.3 to 13
  • 13 to 15
  • 15 to 19
  • 19 and over
%, 2015. Source: Eurostat, Young people neither in employment nor in education and training (NEET), not employed, 15 to 29 years (edat_lfse_20). Boundaries: Natural Earth (public domain).

All EU countries, 2015

Italy: 25.7 %Italy25.7Greece: 24.1 %Greece24.1Bulgaria: 22.2 %Bulgaria22.2Romania: 20.9 %Romania20.9Croatia: 19.8 %Croatia19.8Spain: 19.4 %Spain19.4Cyprus: 18.5 %Cyprus18.5Slovakia: 17.2 %Slovakia17.2Ireland: 16.5 %Ireland16.5Hungary: 15.1 %Hungary15.1France: 14.7 %France14.7Poland: 14.6 %Poland14.6Belgium: 14.4 %Belgium14.4Latvia: 13.8 %Latvia13.8Estonia: 13.2 %Estonia13.2Portugal: 13.1 %Portugal13.1Finland: 12.4 %Finland12.4Slovenia: 12.3 %Slovenia12.3Czechia: 11.8 %Czechia11.8Lithuania: 11.8 %Lithuania11.8Malta: 11.8 %Malta11.8Austria: 8.7 %Austria8.7Denmark: 8.5 %Denmark8.5Germany: 8.5 %Germany8.5Luxembourg: 7.6 %Luxembourg7.6Sweden: 7.4 %Sweden7.4Netherlands: 6.7 %Netherlands6.7Italy: 25.7 %Italy25.7Greece: 24.1 %Greece24.1Bulgaria: 22.2 %Bulgaria22.2Romania: 20.9 %Romania20.9Croatia: 19.8 %Croatia19.8Spain: 19.4 %Spain19.4Cyprus: 18.5 %Cyprus18.5Slovakia: 17.2 %Slovakia17.2Ireland: 16.5 %Ireland16.5Hungary: 15.1 %Hungary15.1France: 14.7 %France14.7Poland: 14.6 %Poland14.6Belgium: 14.4 %Belgium14.4Latvia: 13.8 %Latvia13.8Estonia: 13.2 %Estonia13.2Portugal: 13.1 %Portugal13.1Finland: 12.4 %Finland12.4Slovenia: 12.3 %Slovenia12.3Czechia: 11.8 %Czechia11.8Lithuania: 11.8 %Lithuania11.8Malta: 11.8 %Malta11.8Austria: 8.7 %Austria8.7Denmark: 8.5 %Denmark8.5Germany: 8.5 %Germany8.5Luxembourg: 7.6 %Luxembourg7.6Sweden: 7.4 %Sweden7.4Netherlands: 6.7 %Netherlands6.7
%. Source: Eurostat, Young people neither in employment nor in education and training (NEET), not employed, 15 to 29 years (edat_lfse_20). Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankEU countries2015 (%)Change on 2014
1Italy25.7-0.5 pts
2Greece24.1-2.6 pts
3Bulgaria22.2-1.8 pts
4Romania20.9+1 pts
5Croatia19.8-1.9 pts
6Spain19.4-1.3 pts
7Cyprus18.5-1 pts
8Slovakia17.2-1 pts
9Ireland16.5-1.3 pts
10Hungary15.1-1.3 pts
11France14.7+0.6 pts
12Poland14.6-0.9 pts
13Belgium14.4+0.3 pts
14Latvia13.8-1.4 pts
15Estonia13.2-0.6 pts
16Portugal13.1-1.5 pts
17Finland12.4+0.6 pts
18Slovenia12.3-0.6 pts
19Czechia11.8-0.3 pts
19Lithuania11.8-1.1 pts
19Malta11.8+0.2 pts
22Austria8.7-0.6 pts
23Denmark8.5+0.5 pts
23Germany8.5-0.2 pts
25Luxembourg Series break7.6+1.1 pts
26Sweden7.4-0.4 pts
27Netherlands6.7-0.9 pts

Other periods

About this ranking

People aged 15 to 29 who are not employed and received no formal or non-formal education or training in the four weeks before the survey, as a percentage of all people aged 15 to 29 (EU Labour Force Survey).

Counts both unemployed young people and those outside the labour force. The denominator is the whole age group, so it is not the youth unemployment rate. The EU target is below 9% by 2030.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the EU countries are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

Eurostat. Young people neither in employment nor in education and training (NEET), not employed, 15 to 29 years (edat_lfse_20). https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/edat_lfse_20/default/table. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Citation styles

The publisher is the author. Invokely is named only as the place the figures were read, where a style asks for it.

APA 7

Eurostat, European Commission. (2026). Young people neither in employment nor in education and training (NEET), not employed, 15 to 29 years (edat_lfse_20) (EU countries by young people not in employment, education or training (NEET), ages 15 to 29, 2015) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/edat_lfse_20/default/table

MLA 9

Young people neither in employment nor in education and training (NEET), not employed, 15 to 29 years (edat_lfse_20), EU countries by young people not in employment, education or training (NEET), ages 15 to 29, 2015. Eurostat, European Commission, 10 Sept. 2026, https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/edat_lfse_20/default/table. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/neet-rate-15-29/eu-countries?period=2015. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

Eurostat, European Commission. 2026. Young people neither in employment nor in education and training (NEET), not employed, 15 to 29 years (edat_lfse_20). EU countries by young people not in employment, education or training (NEET), ages 15 to 29, 2015. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/edat_lfse_20/default/table. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/neet-rate-15-29/eu-countries?period=2015.

Harvard

Eurostat, European Commission (2026) Young people neither in employment nor in education and training (NEET), not employed, 15 to 29 years (edat_lfse_20), EU countries by young people not in employment, education or training (NEET), ages 15 to 29, 2015 [Dataset]. Available at: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/edat_lfse_20/default/table, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/neet-rate-15-29/eu-countries?period=2015 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{eurostat_eu_countries_by_young_2015,
  author = {{Eurostat, European Commission}},
  title = {{Young people neither in employment nor in education and training (NEET), not employed, 15 to 29 years (edat\_lfse\_20): EU countries by young people not in employment, education or training (NEET), ages 15 to 29, 2015}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/edat_lfse_20/default/table},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/neet-rate-15-29/eu-countries?period=2015. Publisher attribution: Eurostat. Young people neither in employment nor in education and training (NEET), not employed, 15 to 29 years (edat\_lfse\_20). https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/edat\_lfse\_20/default/table. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - Eurostat, European Commission
TI  - Young people neither in employment nor in education and training (NEET), not employed, 15 to 29 years (edat_lfse_20): EU countries by young people not in employment, education or training (NEET), ages 15 to 29, 2015
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/09/10
PB  - Eurostat, European Commission
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/edat_lfse_20/default/table
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/neet-rate-15-29/eu-countries?period=2015
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/neet-rate-15-29/eu-countries?period=2015.
N1  - Publisher attribution: Eurostat. Young people neither in employment nor in education and training (NEET), not employed, 15 to 29 years (edat_lfse_20). https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/edat_lfse_20/default/table. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  - 
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Questions

Which EU country has the highest young people not in employment, education or training (NEET), ages 15 to 29?

Italy, with 25.7% in 2015, according to Eurostat, European Commission.

Which EU country has the lowest young people not in employment, education or training (NEET), ages 15 to 29?

The Netherlands, with 6.7% in 2015.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: Eurostat, European Commission, Young people neither in employment nor in education and training (NEET), not employed, 15 to 29 years (edat_lfse_20). Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Young people not in employment, education or training (NEET), ages 15 to 29: other rankings

EU countries: more rankings