Afghanistan Youth Unemployment
Youth unemployment (ages 15-24) SL.UEM.1524.ZS
Overview
Afghanistan's youth unemployment stood at 16.79% in 2025, a decline of +0.45pp from 2024. Based on recent trends, this figure is projected to reach 17.39% by 2026. Afghanistan ranked 118th globally.
Data & projection
| Year | Youth Unemployment | YoY change | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2028* trend | 17.63% | - | - |
| 2027* trend | 17.51% | - | - |
| 2026* trend | 17.39% | - | - |
| 2025 | 16.79% | −0.45pp | #118 |
| 2024 | 17.24% | −0.26pp | #119 |
| 2023 | 17.49% | −0.05pp | #123 |
| 2022 | 17.54% | +1.53pp | #116 |
| 2021 | 16.01% | −0.04pp | #100 |
| 2020 | 16.05% | +0.53pp | #100 |
| 2019 | 15.52% | −0.88pp | #109 |
| 2018 | 16.40% | −0.91pp | #112 |
| 2017 | 17.31% | +2.38pp | #112 |
| 2016 | 14.93% | +2.40pp | #96 |
| 2015 | 12.53% | +2.44pp | #82 |
| 2014 | 10.09% | −0.01pp | #67 |
| 2013 | 10.10% | +0.03pp | #71 |
| 2012 | 10.07% | +0.03pp | #70 |
| 2011 | 10.04% | +0.00pp | #69 |
Detected Pattern
Analysis
Afghanistan matched the Stagflation Risk pattern in 2022. Historically, 38% of countries showing this pattern (117 out of 307) saw youth unemployment improve within 24 months. View full analysis →
Frequently Asked Questions
Afghanistan's youth unemployment was 16.79% in 2025. Ranked 118th globally. This represents a 2.6% decrease from the previous year.
Afghanistan's youth unemployment peaked at 17.54% in 2022.
The lowest youth unemployment in Afghanistan was 10.04% in 2010.
Afghanistan ranks 118th globally in youth unemployment as of 2025.
The World Bank indicator code is SL.UEM.1524.ZS. Data sourced from World Bank.
Afghanistan's youth unemployment is projected to reach 17.39% by 2026 based on trend extrapolation.
The youth unemployment of Afghanistan in 2025 was 16.79%. This ranks 118th in the world.
Cite this page
@misc{historysaid_afghanistan_youth-unemployment,
title = {Afghanistan Youth Unemployment},
url = {https://historysaid.com/afghanistan/youth-unemployment},
publisher = {HistorySaid},
year = {2026}
}