Djibouti Youth Unemployment
Youth unemployment (ages 15-24) SL.UEM.1524.ZS
Djibouti's youth unemployment was 76.77% in 2025, ranked 181st globally. This represents a 0.4% increase from 2024. Data from World Bank, covering 1991–2025.
Overview
Djibouti's youth unemployment stood at 76.77% in 2025, a rise of +0.27pp from 2024. Based on recent trends, this figure is projected to reach 75.53% by 2026. Djibouti ranked 181st globally.
Djibouti’s youth unemployment rate has risen sharply over the 35‑year series, moving from a trough of 58.71 % in 1991 to an all‑time peak of 81.88 % in 2020 before easing to 76.77 % in 2025, placing the country 181st out of 191 economies in the World Bank rankings. The post‑pandemic surge to 81.88 % reflects a contraction in formal job creation combined with a rapidly expanding labor‑force cohort aged 15‑24, while the modest decline to 76.77 % suggests limited recovery in sectors such as port services and logistics that dominate Djibouti’s export‑oriented economy. By comparison, South Africa’s youth unemployment stood at 59.93 % in the same year, underscoring Djibouti’s markedly higher structural challenges. Continued diversification of the private sector, investment in vocational training, and reforms to improve the business climate could temper the upward trajectory and gradually bring the rate closer to regional peers.
Data & projection
| Year | Youth Unemployment | YoY change | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2028* trend | 74.46% | - | - |
| 2027* trend | 74.99% | - | - |
| 2026* trend | 75.53% | - | - |
| 2025 | 76.77% | +0.27pp | #181 |
| 2024 | 76.49% | +0.10pp | #181 |
| 2023 | 76.39% | −0.22pp | #183 |
| 2022 | 76.61% | −2.77pp | #185 |
| 2021 | 79.38% | −2.51pp | #186 |
| 2020 | 81.88% | +5.98pp | #186 |
| 2019 | 75.91% | +0.93pp | #186 |
| 2018 | 74.98% | +1.03pp | #186 |
| 2017 | 73.95% | +0.94pp | #186 |
| 2016 | 73.01% | +0.52pp | #186 |
| 2015 | 72.49% | +0.46pp | #186 |
| 2014 | 72.04% | +0.69pp | #186 |
| 2013 | 71.34% | +0.56pp | #186 |
| 2012 | 70.78% | +0.30pp | #186 |
| 2011 | 70.49% | +0.47pp | #186 |
Detected Pattern
Analysis
Djibouti matched the Export Boom Cycle pattern in 2019. Historically, 71% of countries showing this pattern (546 out of 768) saw youth unemployment improve within 24 months. View full analysis →
Frequently Asked Questions
Djibouti's youth unemployment was 76.77% in 2025. Ranked 181st globally. This represents a 0.4% increase from the previous year.
Djibouti's youth unemployment peaked at 81.88% in 2020.
The lowest youth unemployment in Djibouti was 58.71% in 1991.
Djibouti ranks 181st globally in youth unemployment as of 2025.
The World Bank indicator code is SL.UEM.1524.ZS. Data sourced from World Bank.
Djibouti's youth unemployment is projected to reach 75.53% by 2026 based on trend extrapolation.
The youth unemployment of Djibouti in 2025 was 76.77%. This ranks 181st in the world.
Cite this page
@misc{historysaid_djibouti_youth-unemployment,
title = {Djibouti Youth Unemployment},
url = {https://historysaid.com/djibouti/youth-unemployment/},
publisher = {HistorySaid},
year = {2026}
}