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

Romania had the highest young people not in employment, education or training (NEET), ages 15 to 29 of 27 EU countries in 2023, at 19.3%. The Netherlands had the lowest, at 4.7%. The median was 9.6% and the figure for the European Union (27) was 11.3%. Source: Eurostat, European Commission.

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Highest19.3Romania
Lowest4.7Netherlands
Median9.627 EU countries
European Union (27)11.3History

Map of EU countries, 2023

Austria: 9.4 %Belgium: 9.6 %Bulgaria: 13.8 %Cyprus: 13.7 %Czechia: 10.1 %Germany: 8.8 %Denmark: 8.6 %Estonia: 9.6 %Spain: 12.3 %Finland: 9.4 %France: 12.3 %Greece: 16 %Croatia: 11.8 %Hungary: 10.9 %Ireland: 8.5 %Italy: 16.1 %Lithuania: 13.5 %Luxembourg: 8.5 %Latvia: 10 %Malta: 7.6 %Netherlands: 4.7 %Poland: 9.1 %Portugal: 8.9 %Romania: 19.3 %Sweden: 5.7 %Slovenia: 7.8 %Slovakia: 11.2 %
  • Under 8.5
  • 8.5 to 9.4
  • 9.4 to 11
  • 11 to 13
  • 13 and over
%, 2023. 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, 2023

Romania: 19.3 %Romania19.3Italy: 16.1 %Italy16.1Greece: 16 %Greece16Bulgaria: 13.8 %Bulgaria13.8Cyprus: 13.7 %Cyprus13.7Lithuania: 13.5 %Lithuania13.5France: 12.3 %France12.3Spain: 12.3 %Spain12.3Croatia: 11.8 %Croatia11.8Slovakia: 11.2 %Slovakia11.2Hungary: 10.9 %Hungary10.9Czechia: 10.1 %Czechia10.1Latvia: 10 %Latvia10Belgium: 9.6 %Belgium9.6Estonia: 9.6 %Estonia9.6Austria: 9.4 %Austria9.4Finland: 9.4 %Finland9.4Poland: 9.1 %Poland9.1Portugal: 8.9 %Portugal8.9Germany: 8.8 %Germany8.8Denmark: 8.6 %Denmark8.6Ireland: 8.5 %Ireland8.5Luxembourg: 8.5 %Luxembourg8.5Slovenia: 7.8 %Slovenia7.8Malta: 7.6 %Malta7.6Sweden: 5.7 %Sweden5.7Netherlands: 4.7 %Netherlands4.7Romania: 19.3 %Romania19.3Italy: 16.1 %Italy16.1Greece: 16 %Greece16Bulgaria: 13.8 %Bulgaria13.8Cyprus: 13.7 %Cyprus13.7Lithuania: 13.5 %Lithuania13.5France: 12.3 %France12.3Spain: 12.3 %Spain12.3Croatia: 11.8 %Croatia11.8Slovakia: 11.2 %Slovakia11.2Hungary: 10.9 %Hungary10.9Czechia: 10.1 %Czechia10.1Latvia: 10 %Latvia10Belgium: 9.6 %Belgium9.6Estonia: 9.6 %Estonia9.6Austria: 9.4 %Austria9.4Finland: 9.4 %Finland9.4Poland: 9.1 %Poland9.1Portugal: 8.9 %Portugal8.9Germany: 8.8 %Germany8.8Denmark: 8.6 %Denmark8.6Ireland: 8.5 %Ireland8.5Luxembourg: 8.5 %Luxembourg8.5Slovenia: 7.8 %Slovenia7.8Malta: 7.6 %Malta7.6Sweden: 5.7 %Sweden5.7Netherlands: 4.7 %Netherlands4.7
%. 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 countries2023 (%)Change on 2022
1Romania19.3-0.5 pts
2Italy16.1-2.9 pts
3Greece16+0.6 pts
4Bulgaria13.8-1 pts
5Cyprus13.7-0.7 pts
6Lithuania13.5+2.8 pts
7France12.3+0.3 pts
7Spain12.3-0.4 pts
9Croatia11.8-1.3 pts
10Slovakia11.2-1.1 pts
11Hungary10.9+0.2 pts
12Czechia10.1-1.3 pts
13Latvia10-1.3 pts
14Belgium9.6+0.4 pts
14Estonia9.6-1 pts
16Austria9.4+0.3 pts
16Finland9.4-0.1 pts
18Poland9.1-1.6 pts
19Portugal8.9+0.4 pts
20Germany8.8+0.2 pts
21Denmark Series break8.6+0.7 pts
22Ireland8.5-0.1 pts
22Luxembourg8.5+1.1 pts
24Slovenia Series break7.8-0.6 pts
25Malta7.60 pts
26Sweden5.7+0.1 pts
27Netherlands4.7+0.5 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, 2023) [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, 2023. 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=2023. 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, 2023. 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=2023.

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, 2023 [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=2023 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{eurostat_eu_countries_by_young_2023,
  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, 2023}},
  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=2023. 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, 2023
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=2023
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/neet-rate-15-29/eu-countries?period=2023.
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?

Romania, with 19.3% in 2023, 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 4.7% in 2023.

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