Turkey had the highest share of young people ages 15 to 29 who were neither employed nor in education or training among Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) member countries in 2025, at 27.12 percent, more than twice the OECD average of 12.9 percent, according to OECD data cited by the Nefes daily on Sunday.
Turkey ranked second among those ages 15 to 24, with 23.63 percent of young people in that category neither working nor receiving education or training. Colombia was ranked first, at 25.57 percent, followed by Costa Rica at 18.14 percent, Portugal at 16.81 percent and Mexico at 16.37 percent.
Separate figures published by the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat) in its 2025 youth statistics report showed that 23.3 percent of people ages 15 to 24 in Turkey were neither in education nor employment, up from 22.9 percent in 2024. The youth unemployment rate, meanwhile, fell from 16.3 percent to 15.3 percent.
The share of young women ages 15 to 24 who were neither in education nor employment reached 30.9 percent, compared with 16.3 percent among young men, according to TurkStat.
The rate for young people not in employment, education or training (NEET) differs from the unemployment rate. The unemployment rate measures the share of the labor force without work who are seeking a job and available to start, while the NEET measure also counts young people outside the labor force, provided they are not receiving education or training. The rise in the NEET rate alongside falling youth unemployment shows that youth unemployment alone does not measure how many young people are outside work and education.
Turkey has recorded NEET rates above the OECD average for years. The OECD’s Government at a Glance 2025 report put the share of people ages 15 to 29 in Turkey who were neither employed nor in education or training at 28.4 percent in 2023, compared with an OECD average of 12.6 percent. The report put Turkey’s rate at 31.3 percent in 2012.
The OECD defines NEETs as young people who are not engaged in employment, formal education or training. The category covers both unemployed people and those outside the labor force who are not in education or training. The indicator is used to assess young people’s participation in the labor market and education system.
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