Data / Rankings / Young people not in employment, education or training (NEET), ages 15 to 29 / EU countries

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 2021, at 23.1%. The Netherlands had the lowest, at 3.9%. The median was 11.2% and the figure for the European Union (27) was 13.1%. Source: Eurostat, European Commission.

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Highest23.1Italy
Lowest3.9Netherlands
Median11.227 EU countries
European Union (27)13.1History

Map of EU countries, 2021

Austria: 9.4 %Belgium: 10.1 %Bulgaria: 17.4 %Cyprus: 15 %Czechia: 10.9 %Germany: 9.3 %Denmark: 8.4 %Estonia: 11.2 %Spain: 14.2 %Finland: 9.3 %France: 12.8 %Greece: 17.3 %Croatia: 14.9 %Hungary: 11.7 %Ireland: 9.8 %Italy: 23.1 %Lithuania: 12.7 %Luxembourg: 8.8 %Latvia: 12.1 %Malta: 10.5 %Netherlands: 3.9 %Poland: 13.2 %Portugal: 9.7 %Romania: 20.3 %Sweden: 6.1 %Slovenia: 7.3 %Slovakia: 14.2 %
  • Under 9.3
  • 9.3 to 10
  • 10 to 12
  • 12 to 15
  • 15 and over
%, 2021. 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, 2021

Italy: 23.1 %Italy23.1Romania: 20.3 %Romania20.3Bulgaria: 17.4 %Bulgaria17.4Greece: 17.3 %Greece17.3Cyprus: 15 %Cyprus15Croatia: 14.9 %Croatia14.9Slovakia: 14.2 %Slovakia14.2Spain: 14.2 %Spain14.2Poland: 13.2 %Poland13.2France: 12.8 %France12.8Lithuania: 12.7 %Lithuania12.7Latvia: 12.1 %Latvia12.1Hungary: 11.7 %Hungary11.7Estonia: 11.2 %Estonia11.2Czechia: 10.9 %Czechia10.9Malta: 10.5 %Malta10.5Belgium: 10.1 %Belgium10.1Ireland: 9.8 %Ireland9.8Portugal: 9.7 %Portugal9.7Austria: 9.4 %Austria9.4Finland: 9.3 %Finland9.3Germany: 9.3 %Germany9.3Luxembourg: 8.8 %Luxembourg8.8Denmark: 8.4 %Denmark8.4Slovenia: 7.3 %Slovenia7.3Sweden: 6.1 %Sweden6.1Netherlands: 3.9 %Netherlands3.9Italy: 23.1 %Italy23.1Romania: 20.3 %Romania20.3Bulgaria: 17.4 %Bulgaria17.4Greece: 17.3 %Greece17.3Cyprus: 15 %Cyprus15Croatia: 14.9 %Croatia14.9Slovakia: 14.2 %Slovakia14.2Spain: 14.2 %Spain14.2Poland: 13.2 %Poland13.2France: 12.8 %France12.8Lithuania: 12.7 %Lithuania12.7Latvia: 12.1 %Latvia12.1Hungary: 11.7 %Hungary11.7Estonia: 11.2 %Estonia11.2Czechia: 10.9 %Czechia10.9Malta: 10.5 %Malta10.5Belgium: 10.1 %Belgium10.1Ireland: 9.8 %Ireland9.8Portugal: 9.7 %Portugal9.7Austria: 9.4 %Austria9.4Finland: 9.3 %Finland9.3Germany: 9.3 %Germany9.3Luxembourg: 8.8 %Luxembourg8.8Denmark: 8.4 %Denmark8.4Slovenia: 7.3 %Slovenia7.3Sweden: 6.1 %Sweden6.1Netherlands: 3.9 %Netherlands3.9
%. 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 countries2021 (%)Change on 2020
1Italy Series break23.1-0.4 pts
2Romania Series break20.3+3.7 pts
3Bulgaria Series break17.4-0.6 pts
4Greece Series break17.3-1.4 pts
5Cyprus Series break15-0.2 pts
6Croatia Series break14.9+0.4 pts
7Slovakia Series break14.2-1 pts
7Spain Series break14.2-3.1 pts
9Poland Series break13.2+0.9 pts
10France Series break12.8-1.2 pts
11Lithuania Series break12.7-0.3 pts
12Latvia Series break12.1+0.2 pts
13Hungary Series break11.7-3 pts
14Estonia Series break11.2-0.7 pts
15Czechia Series break10.9-0.1 pts
16Malta Series break10.5+0.8 pts
17Belgium Series break10.1-1.9 pts
18Ireland Series break9.8-4.4 pts
19Portugal Series break9.7-1.3 pts
20Austria Series break9.4-0.1 pts
21Finland Series break9.3-1 pts
21Germany Series break9.3+0.2 pts
23Luxembourg Series break8.8+1.1 pts
24Denmark Series break8.4-1.8 pts
25Slovenia Series break7.3-1.9 pts
26Sweden Series break6.1-1.1 pts
27Netherlands Series break3.9-1.8 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, 2021) [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, 2021. 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=2021. 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, 2021. 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=2021.

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, 2021 [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=2021 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{eurostat_eu_countries_by_young_2021,
  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, 2021}},
  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=2021. 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, 2021
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=2021
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/neet-rate-15-29/eu-countries?period=2021.
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 23.1% in 2021, 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 3.9% in 2021.

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