Youth labor force participation measures the share of people ages 15–24 who are economically active, including both employed and unemployed people. The World Bank’s modeled ILO estimate for this age group was 42.54% worldwide in 2024, while country rates ranged from 21.98% in South Africa in 2021 to 65.28% in Canada in 2022 among the modeled observations below.
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Global benchmarks
The global series shows a sharp change between 2019 and 2020, followed by a gradual recovery. The modeled youth labor force participation rate for people ages 15–24 worldwide was 42.34% in 2019 and 40.81% in 2020. It then reached 41.56% in 2021, 42.23% in 2022, 42.58% in 2023, and 42.54% in 2024.
These observations are from the World Bank indicator “Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) (modeled ILO estimate),” sourced from the ILO Modelled Estimates database. They describe the measured share of the youth population that is economically active for each stated year. They are not forecasts.
| Year | Worldwide youth labor force participation |
|---|---|
| 2019 | 42.34% |
| 2020 | 40.81% |
| 2021 | 41.56% |
| 2022 | 42.23% |
| 2023 | 42.58% |
| 2024 | 42.54% |
The 2024 global figure was close to the 2023 level and above every year in the 2020–2022 portion of the series. The source reports these values as published, so the comparisons here do not add independently calculated changes.
The worldwide sequence is best read as a set of annual benchmarks rather than as a description of every country. A global rate can coexist with substantially higher or lower national observations because it represents the combined worldwide population in the stated age range. The age definition also matters: all of the figures in this article refer to ages 15–24, not to all working-age people or to a narrower teen-only group.
Source: Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) (modeled ILO estimate) | World Bank Data API for the 2019 observation; the same World Bank Data API indicator supplies the 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024 observations.
North America
The modeled figures for the United States and Canada show different participation levels across 2021–2024. In the United States, the rate was 50.50% in 2021, 50.54% in 2022, 51.14% in 2023, and 50.81% in 2024. The sequence stayed close to 51% throughout the four reported years.
Canada’s modeled youth labor force participation rate was higher in each corresponding year: 64.18% in 2021, 65.28% in 2022, 64.97% in 2023, and 63.03% in 2024. The Canadian series reached its highest listed value in 2022 and was lower in 2024 than in the three earlier observations.
The table keeps the measurement year visible because these country series are not all from the same single reference date.
| Country | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 50.50% | 50.54% | 51.14% | 50.81% |
| Canada | 64.18% | 65.28% | 64.97% | 63.03% |
Source: World Bank Data API modeled ILO estimate for the United States and World Bank Data API modeled ILO estimate for Canada. The linked indicator pages provide the listed observations for 2021 through 2024.
Latin America
The selected Latin American modeled observations show different participation patterns in Mexico, Brazil, and Argentina. Mexico’s rate was 44.46% in 2021, 44.43% in 2022, 44.89% in 2023, and 45.06% in 2024. The reported Mexican values remained near 45% and ended at the highest level in this four-year sequence.
Brazil recorded 54.83% in 2021, 56.40% in 2022, 54.45% in 2023, and 54.71% in 2024. The 2022 observation was the highest listed Brazilian rate, while the 2023 and 2024 observations were close to one another.
Argentina’s modeled rate was 37.01% in 2021, 38.02% in 2022, 39.12% in 2023, and 38.72% in 2024. Its highest reported value was in 2023. Across these three countries, the 2024 observations were 45.06% for Mexico, 54.71% for Brazil, and 38.72% for Argentina.
The Latin American values illustrate why a regional label should not be treated as a single uniform experience. The three country series occupy different levels in every year shown. They also differ in their year-to-year movement: Mexico changes only modestly across the listed observations, Brazil has a higher 2022 observation followed by lower figures, and Argentina reaches its highest listed value in 2023 before moving down in 2024.
Sources: Mexico | World Bank Data API, Brazil | World Bank Data API, and Argentina | World Bank Data API. Each linked modeled ILO estimate source contains the corresponding observations for 2021 through 2024.
Asia
China’s modeled youth labor force participation rate was 48.84% in 2021, 50.22% in 2022, 49.86% in 2023, and 49.51% in 2024. The highest listed Chinese observation was in 2022, followed by two years below 50%.
India’s rate was 28.94% in 2021, 29.62% in 2022, 30.45% in 2023, and 31.23% in 2024. Each reported Indian observation was higher than the previous one in this series, though the values remained below the worldwide 2024 modeled benchmark of 42.54%.
Japan’s modeled rate was 48.52% in 2021, 48.62% in 2022, 49.89% in 2023, and 50.80% in 2024. The Japanese series increased in each reported year, with the largest listed value at the end of the period.
Within these Asian examples, India is the lowest-rate series in each reported year, while China and Japan remain close to one another in the upper-40% to low-50% range. Those observations describe the particular country estimates and years listed here; they do not establish a continent-wide Asian rate.
Sources: China | World Bank Data API, India | World Bank Data API, and Japan | World Bank Data API. These are modeled ILO estimate sources for the 2021–2024 observations.
Europe
Germany’s modeled youth labor force participation rate was 52.79% in 2021, 53.46% in 2022, 54.13% in 2023, and 54.52% in 2024. The reported German rate rose in every year shown and was above the worldwide 2024 benchmark.
France recorded 38.01% in 2021, 40.28% in 2022, 40.68% in 2023, and 42.52% in 2024. France also rose in each year of the supplied series, but its 2024 value was just below the worldwide modeled figure of 42.54%.
The two European examples therefore show different levels despite similar upward year-to-year direction in the period reported: Germany stayed above 52%, while France moved from 38.01% to 42.52%.
The European comparison also requires attention to the modeled-estimate label. The figures are percentage rates for the same age group and are suitable for describing the reported observations, but the data supplied here does not provide a separate explanation of why the country levels differ. Participation rates alone do not identify the employment, education, or demographic factors behind a result.
Sources: Germany | World Bank Data API and France | World Bank Data API. Both links identify the measure as the modeled ILO estimate for ages 15–24.
Africa
South Africa’s modeled youth labor force participation rate was 21.98% in 2021, 25.78% in 2022, 26.99% in 2023, and 26.76% in 2024. The reported rate increased through 2023 and was slightly lower in 2024.
Several additional African observations use the national-estimate version of the World Bank indicator rather than the modeled ILO estimate. Nigeria’s national-estimate youth labor force participation rate for ages 15–24 was 62.7% in 2024. Ghana’s was 34.9% in 2024, Zambia’s was 38.9%, and Zimbabwe’s was 43.5%.
Because the source type differs, the national-estimate observations should be read as a separate group from the modeled South Africa series and from the worldwide modeled benchmark. The measurement period is 2024 for all four national-estimate observations.
| Country and source type | Period | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| South Africa, modeled ILO estimate | 2024 | 26.76% |
| Nigeria, national estimate | 2024 | 62.7% |
| Ghana, national estimate | 2024 | 34.9% |
| Zambia, national estimate | 2024 | 38.9% |
| Zimbabwe, national estimate | 2024 | 43.5% |
Sources: South Africa | World Bank Data API, Nigeria | World Bank Data, Ghana | World Bank Data, Zambia | World Bank Data, and Zimbabwe | World Bank Data. The South Africa source supplies modeled observations for 2021–2024; the other four sources label their 2024 observations as national estimates.
The measure is useful for comparing how many young people are active in the labor force, but the source label and year belong with every comparison. Modeled ILO estimates and national estimates are distinct series, and the figures above should not be treated as one harmonized ranking.