Formal versus informal employment
Youth unemployment, output per person and urbanisation — the three figures that decide how easily a first job turns into a career.
The split between formal and informal work is measured directly by the ILO, which this dataset does not carry. What it does carry are the three indicators that shape it: how hard it is for young people to find work at all, how much a worker produces, and how much of the population lives in cities where formal employers concentrate.
Youth unemployment
A higher value means a larger share of young workers are without a job and looking for one. 187 countries report this indicator.
Among the 187 countries reporting youth unemployment, the figure runs from 0.1% (Qatar, 2024) to 34.6% (Eswatini, 2024), with a median of 5.2%. The middle half of the countries fall between 2.2% and 13.7%.
- Lowest reported
- 0.1%
- Qatar · 2024
- Median
- 5.2%
- across 187 countries
- Highest reported
- 34.6%
- Eswatini · 2024
- Middle half
- 2.2% – 13.7%
- 10th–90th percentile
GDP per capita (PPP)
A higher value means more output per person to go round. 199 countries report this indicator.
Among the 199 countries reporting gdp per capita (ppp), the figure runs from 1193.04 (Burundi, 2024) to 156079.37 (Luxembourg, 2024), with a median of 21025.84. The middle half of the countries fall between 3321.58 and 75774.41.
- Lowest reported
- $1,193
- Burundi · 2024
- Median
- $21,026
- across 199 countries
- Highest reported
- $156,079
- Luxembourg · 2024
- Middle half
- $3,322 – $75,774
- 10th–90th percentile
Urban population
A higher value means a larger share of people live in cities. 217 countries report this indicator.
Among the 217 countries reporting urban population, the figure runs from 14.7% (Liechtenstein, 2024) to 100.0% (Bahrain, 2024), with a median of 63.9%. The middle half of the countries fall between 29.9% and 94.2%.
- Lowest reported
- 14.7%
- Liechtenstein · 2024
- Median
- 63.9%
- across 217 countries
- Highest reported
- 100.0%
- Bahrain · 2024
- Middle half
- 29.9% – 94.2%
- 10th–90th percentile
What conditions make a first job turn into a career?
Each row is one country, with the year its figure was observed. The regions are the World Bank's own groupings.
East Asia & Pacific (37)
| Country | Youth unemployment | GDP per capita (PPP) | Urban population |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Samoa | 80.9% (2024) | ||
| Australia | 3.9% (2024) | $72,118 (2024) | 87.6% (2024) |
| Brunei Darussalam | 5.2% (2024) | $90,010 (2024) | 74.9% (2024) |
| Cambodia | 0.3% (2024) | $7,982 (2024) | 40.9% (2024) |
| China | 4.6% (2024) | $27,140 (2024) | 65.9% (2024) |
| Fiji | 5.4% (2024) | $15,473 (2024) | 59.1% (2024) |
| French Polynesia | 11.6% (2024) | 61.7% (2024) | |
| Guam | 5.3% (2024) | 94.2% (2024) | |
| Hong Kong SAR, China | 3.0% (2024) | $75,342 (2024) | 100.0% (2024) |
| Indonesia | 3.3% (2024) | $16,472 (2024) | 58.8% (2024) |
| Japan | 2.5% (2024) | $54,156 (2024) | 92.2% (2024) |
| Kiribati | $3,728 (2024) | 62.5% (2024) | |
| Korea, Dem. People's Rep. | 3.5% (2024) | 63.9% (2024) | |
| Korea, Rep. | 2.8% (2024) | $61,051 (2024) | 81.2% (2024) |
| Lao PDR | 1.2% (2024) | $9,790 (2024) | 39.6% (2024) |
| Macao SAR, China | 2.3% (2024) | $127,144 (2024) | 100.0% (2024) |
| Malaysia | 3.8% (2024) | $38,836 (2024) | 76.9% (2024) |
| Marshall Islands | $8,238 (2024) | 78.7% (2024) | |
| Micronesia, Fed. Sts. | $4,452 (2024) | 22.5% (2024) | |
| Mongolia | 5.2% (2024) | $19,173 (2024) | 71.0% (2024) |
| Myanmar | 2.9% (2024) | $6,006 (2024) | 30.4% (2024) |
| Naoero | $13,612 (2024) | 100.0% (2024) | |
| New Caledonia | 11.0% (2024) | 68.0% (2024) | |
| New Zealand | 4.7% (2024) | $55,794 (2024) | 83.9% (2024) |
| Northern Mariana Islands | 92.1% (2024) | ||
| Palau | $21,059 (2024) | 79.2% (2024) | |
| Papua New Guinea | 2.6% (2024) | $4,887 (2024) | 15.4% (2024) |
| Philippines | 2.2% (2024) | $11,814 (2024) | 55.5% (2024) |
| Samoa | 4.9% (2024) | $8,751 (2024) | 17.5% (2024) |
| Singapore | 2.7% (2024) | $153,161 (2024) | 100.0% (2024) |
| Solomon Islands | 1.4% (2024) | $2,679 (2024) | 30.7% (2024) |
| Thailand | 0.8% (2024) | $24,909 (2024) | 61.9% (2024) |
| Timor-Leste | 1.5% (2024) | $4,429 (2024) | 28.7% (2024) |
| Tonga | 2.0% (2024) | $8,174 (2024) | 21.2% (2024) |
| Tuvalu | $6,366 (2024) | 64.7% (2024) | |
| Vanuatu | 5.0% (2024) | $4,368 (2024) | 22.3% (2024) |
| Viet Nam | 1.6% (2024) | $16,388 (2024) | 38.5% (2024) |
Europe & Central Asia (58)
| Country | Youth unemployment | GDP per capita (PPP) | Urban population |
|---|---|---|---|
| Albania | 10.7% (2024) | $26,702 (2024) | 58.5% (2024) |
| Andorra | $75,395 (2024) | 88.9% (2024) | |
| Armenia | 12.4% (2024) | $22,856 (2024) | 65.8% (2024) |
| Austria | 5.2% (2024) | $75,774 (2024) | 69.5% (2024) |
| Azerbaijan | 5.6% (2024) | $25,146 (2024) | 58.6% (2024) |
| Belarus | 3.5% (2024) | $33,166 (2024) | 79.2% (2024) |
| Belgium | 5.7% (2024) | $74,225 (2024) | 87.6% (2024) |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 10.7% (2024) | $25,148 (2024) | 52.1% (2024) |
| Bulgaria | 4.2% (2024) | $41,970 (2024) | 73.9% (2024) |
| Channel Islands | 6.0% (2024) | 32.7% (2024) | |
| Croatia | 5.0% (2024) | $49,551 (2024) | 57.5% (2024) |
| Cyprus | 4.9% (2024) | $63,007 (2024) | 66.7% (2024) |
| Czechia | 2.6% (2024) | $57,625 (2024) | 72.8% (2024) |
| Denmark | 5.4% (2024) | $80,938 (2024) | 88.7% (2024) |
| Estonia | 7.6% (2024) | $50,396 (2024) | 70.7% (2024) |
| Faroe Islands | $82,089 (2024) | 39.4% (2024) | |
| Finland | 8.4% (2024) | $65,137 (2024) | 74.3% (2024) |
| France | 7.4% (2024) | $62,525 (2024) | 78.8% (2024) |
| Georgia | 11.6% (2024) | $27,487 (2024) | 61.1% (2024) |
| Germany | 3.4% (2024) | $73,957 (2024) | 82.0% (2024) |
| Gibraltar | 100.0% (2024) | ||
| Greece | 10.0% (2024) | $44,171 (2024) | 79.0% (2024) |
| Greenland | $78,906 (2023) | 88.3% (2024) | |
| Hungary | 4.5% (2024) | $48,540 (2024) | 70.5% (2024) |
| Iceland | 3.6% (2024) | $83,561 (2024) | 94.2% (2024) |
| Ireland | 4.3% (2024) | $140,779 (2024) | 64.3% (2024) |
| Isle of Man | 52.2% (2024) | ||
| Italy | 6.5% (2024) | $62,293 (2024) | 69.6% (2024) |
| Kazakhstan | 4.8% (2024) | $40,950 (2024) | 62.1% (2024) |
| Kosovo | $17,890 (2024) | 50.3% (2024) | |
| Kyrgyz Republic | 3.5% (2024) | $8,208 (2024) | 34.7% (2024) |
| Latvia | 6.9% (2024) | $43,873 (2024) | 68.5% (2024) |
| Liechtenstein | 14.7% (2024) | ||
| Lithuania | 6.9% (2024) | $55,699 (2024) | 68.8% (2024) |
| Luxembourg | 6.4% (2024) | $156,079 (2024) | 94.8% (2024) |
| Moldova | 1.4% (2024) | $18,662 (2024) | 43.5% (2024) |
| Monaco | 100.0% (2024) | ||
| Montenegro | 13.2% (2024) | $34,063 (2024) | 65.5% (2024) |
| Netherlands | 3.7% (2024) | $85,218 (2024) | 95.6% (2024) |
| North Macedonia | 12.3% (2024) | $26,996 (2024) | 62.6% (2024) |
| Norway | 4.0% (2024) | $105,657 (2024) | 83.3% (2024) |
| Poland | 2.8% (2024) | $51,263 (2024) | 60.0% (2024) |
| Portugal | 6.5% (2024) | $52,513 (2024) | 61.3% (2024) |
| Romania | 5.4% (2024) | $49,077 (2024) | 52.2% (2024) |
| Russian Federation | 2.4% (2024) | $47,686 (2024) | 75.1% (2024) |
| San Marino | $78,810 (2023) | 97.2% (2024) | |
| Serbia | 7.2% (2024) | $32,832 (2024) | 62.4% (2024) |
| Slovak Republic | 5.3% (2024) | $47,847 (2024) | 53.2% (2024) |
| Slovenia | 3.7% (2024) | $57,571 (2024) | 55.8% (2024) |
| Spain | 11.4% (2024) | $58,064 (2024) | 80.3% (2024) |
| Sweden | 8.4% (2024) | $71,222 (2024) | 88.9% (2024) |
| Switzerland | 4.3% (2024) | $97,468 (2024) | 85.5% (2024) |
| Tajikistan | 7.0% (2024) | $5,414 (2024) | 26.2% (2024) |
| Turkiye | 8.8% (2024) | $45,123 (2024) | 89.3% (2024) |
| Turkmenistan | 4.0% (2024) | $21,026 (2024) | 47.1% (2024) |
| Ukraine | 9.8% (2021) | $18,636 (2024) | 69.5% (2024) |
| United Kingdom | 4.4% (2024) | $62,839 (2024) | 83.2% (2024) |
| Uzbekistan | 4.4% (2024) | $12,518 (2024) | 51.0% (2024) |
Latin America & Caribbean (42)
| Country | Youth unemployment | GDP per capita (PPP) | Urban population |
|---|---|---|---|
| Antigua and Barbuda | $33,352 (2024) | 24.4% (2024) | |
| Argentina | 7.2% (2024) | $30,475 (2024) | 92.3% (2024) |
| Aruba | $51,712 (2024) | 61.8% (2024) | |
| Bahamas, The | 9.0% (2024) | $41,258 (2024) | 81.3% (2024) |
| Barbados | 6.4% (2024) | $24,540 (2024) | 59.5% (2024) |
| Belize | 8.7% (2024) | $14,367 (2024) | 41.8% (2024) |
| Bolivia | 3.3% (2024) | $12,896 (2024) | 71.2% (2024) |
| Brazil | 6.8% (2024) | $22,371 (2024) | 87.9% (2024) |
| British Virgin Islands | 56.5% (2024) | ||
| Cayman Islands | $92,201 (2024) | 100.0% (2024) | |
| Chile | 8.7% (2024) | $36,071 (2024) | 89.0% (2024) |
| Colombia | 9.6% (2024) | $22,439 (2024) | 78.5% (2024) |
| Costa Rica | 6.9% (2024) | $31,552 (2024) | 79.3% (2024) |
| Cuba | 1.8% (2024) | 77.2% (2024) | |
| Curacao | $32,741 (2024) | 91.4% (2024) | |
| Dominica | $21,332 (2024) | 73.5% (2024) | |
| Dominican Republic | 5.3% (2024) | $27,582 (2024) | 72.4% (2024) |
| Ecuador | 3.5% (2024) | $15,848 (2024) | 63.2% (2024) |
| El Salvador | 3.3% (2024) | $13,258 (2024) | 75.1% (2024) |
| Grenada | $19,903 (2024) | 36.6% (2024) | |
| Guatemala | 2.6% (2024) | $14,393 (2024) | 56.0% (2024) |
| Guyana | 11.9% (2024) | $80,271 (2024) | 26.5% (2024) |
| Haiti | 14.6% (2024) | $3,169 (2024) | 55.0% (2024) |
| Honduras | 4.9% (2024) | $7,503 (2024) | 58.8% (2024) |
| Jamaica | 3.2% (2024) | $12,909 (2024) | 58.9% (2024) |
| Mexico | 2.7% (2024) | $25,820 (2024) | 79.8% (2024) |
| Nicaragua | 5.0% (2024) | $8,721 (2024) | 59.3% (2024) |
| Panama | 8.5% (2024) | $41,430 (2024) | 66.0% (2024) |
| Paraguay | 5.7% (2024) | $18,632 (2024) | 69.9% (2024) |
| Peru | 5.2% (2024) | $17,882 (2024) | 85.2% (2024) |
| Puerto Rico (US) | 5.6% (2024) | $50,333 (2024) | 94.3% (2024) |
| Sint Maarten (Dutch part) | $53,847 (2024) | 100.0% (2024) | |
| St. Kitts and Nevis | $34,897 (2024) | 31.8% (2024) | |
| St. Lucia | 10.2% (2024) | $28,117 (2024) | 29.1% (2024) |
| St. Martin (French part) | 100.0% (2024) | ||
| St. Vincent and the Grenadines | 18.1% (2024) | $21,303 (2024) | 47.8% (2024) |
| Suriname | 7.6% (2024) | $21,832 (2024) | 65.8% (2024) |
| Trinidad and Tobago | 3.3% (2024) | $36,381 (2024) | 54.0% (2024) |
| Turks and Caicos Islands | $38,010 (2024) | 94.2% (2024) | |
| Uruguay | 8.2% (2024) | $36,597 (2024) | 95.6% (2024) |
| Venezuela, RB | 5.3% (2024) | 89.3% (2024) | |
| Virgin Islands (U.S.) | 11.4% (2024) | $49,785 (2022) | 95.3% (2024) |
North America (3)
| Country | Youth unemployment | GDP per capita (PPP) | Urban population |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bermuda | $118,728 (2024) | 100.0% (2024) | |
| Canada | 6.4% (2024) | $65,483 (2024) | 82.7% (2024) |
| United States | 4.0% (2024) | $86,170 (2024) | 80.1% (2024) |
South Asia (6)
| Country | Youth unemployment | GDP per capita (PPP) | Urban population |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bangladesh | 3.6% (2024) | $9,661 (2024) | 32.7% (2024) |
| Bhutan | 3.3% (2024) | $17,762 (2024) | 42.6% (2024) |
| India | 4.2% (2024) | $10,719 (2024) | 35.4% (2024) |
| Maldives | 4.3% (2024) | $26,221 (2024) | 42.0% (2024) |
| Nepal | 10.5% (2024) | $5,746 (2024) | 66.8% (2024) |
| Sri Lanka | 4.2% (2024) | $15,701 (2024) | 20.3% (2024) |
Sub-Saharan Africa (48)
| Country | Youth unemployment | GDP per capita (PPP) | Urban population |
|---|---|---|---|
| Angola | 14.0% (2024) | $9,964 (2024) | 70.7% (2024) |
| Benin | 1.6% (2024) | $4,441 (2024) | 52.5% (2024) |
| Botswana | 23.8% (2024) | $20,612 (2024) | 67.5% (2024) |
| Burkina Faso | 3.4% (2024) | $2,901 (2024) | 28.3% (2024) |
| Burundi | 0.9% (2024) | $1,193 (2024) | 24.8% (2024) |
| Cabo Verde | 11.9% (2024) | $11,185 (2024) | 76.8% (2024) |
| Cameroon | 3.6% (2024) | $5,597 (2024) | 55.4% (2024) |
| Central African Republic | 6.3% (2024) | $1,265 (2024) | 44.1% (2024) |
| Chad | 1.1% (2024) | $2,767 (2024) | 26.9% (2024) |
| Comoros | 3.8% (2024) | $4,048 (2024) | 33.5% (2024) |
| Congo, Dem. Rep. | 4.4% (2024) | $1,823 (2024) | 44.7% (2024) |
| Congo, Rep. | 19.9% (2024) | $7,004 (2024) | 63.9% (2024) |
| Cote d'Ivoire | 2.3% (2024) | $7,680 (2024) | 54.0% (2024) |
| Equatorial Guinea | 8.3% (2024) | $17,072 (2024) | 71.4% (2024) |
| Eritrea | 5.9% (2024) | 34.5% (2024) | |
| Eswatini | 34.6% (2024) | $11,823 (2024) | 26.2% (2024) |
| Ethiopia | 3.4% (2024) | $3,292 (2024) | 23.6% (2024) |
| Gabon | 20.1% (2024) | $21,541 (2024) | 91.9% (2024) |
| Gambia, The | 6.5% (2024) | $3,481 (2024) | 64.3% (2024) |
| Ghana | 2.8% (2024) | $8,051 (2024) | 58.4% (2024) |
| Guinea | 5.1% (2024) | $4,572 (2024) | 38.1% (2024) |
| Guinea-Bissau | 2.6% (2024) | $3,093 (2024) | 46.1% (2024) |
| Kenya | 5.5% (2024) | $6,650 (2024) | 31.9% (2024) |
| Lesotho | 16.3% (2024) | $3,071 (2024) | 43.7% (2024) |
| Liberia | 2.9% (2024) | $1,874 (2024) | 55.5% (2024) |
| Madagascar | 3.1% (2024) | $1,889 (2024) | 32.4% (2024) |
| Malawi | 5.1% (2024) | $1,860 (2024) | 17.3% (2024) |
| Mali | 2.9% (2024) | $3,322 (2024) | 31.6% (2024) |
| Mauritania | 10.3% (2024) | $7,379 (2024) | 60.6% (2024) |
| Mauritius | 5.5% (2024) | $31,697 (2024) | 39.0% (2024) |
| Mozambique | 6.7% (2024) | $1,708 (2024) | 36.4% (2024) |
| Namibia | 19.2% (2024) | $11,698 (2024) | 50.4% (2024) |
| Niger | 0.4% (2024) | $2,044 (2024) | 18.0% (2024) |
| Nigeria | 3.0% (2024) | $9,100 (2024) | 63.0% (2024) |
| Rwanda | 11.3% (2024) | $3,785 (2024) | 29.9% (2024) |
| Sao Tome and Principe | 9.1% (2024) | $6,274 (2024) | 68.9% (2024) |
| Senegal | 2.8% (2024) | $5,097 (2024) | 55.2% (2024) |
| Seychelles | $33,339 (2024) | 45.3% (2024) | |
| Sierra Leone | 3.1% (2024) | $3,527 (2024) | 45.4% (2024) |
| Somalia, Fed. Rep. | 18.9% (2024) | $1,604 (2024) | 54.6% (2024) |
| South Africa | 32.3% (2024) | $15,479 (2024) | 63.7% (2024) |
| South Sudan | 12.4% (2023) | 21.4% (2024) | |
| Sudan | 7.5% (2022) | $2,119 (2024) | 34.9% (2024) |
| Tanzania | 1.6% (2024) | $4,227 (2024) | 36.2% (2024) |
| Togo | 1.9% (2024) | $3,815 (2024) | 43.8% (2024) |
| Uganda | 2.7% (2024) | $3,278 (2024) | 31.3% (2024) |
| Zambia | 5.9% (2024) | $4,221 (2024) | 45.5% (2024) |
| Zimbabwe | 9.4% (2024) | $5,933 (2024) | 39.9% (2024) |
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (23)
| Country | Youth unemployment | GDP per capita (PPP) | Urban population |
|---|---|---|---|
| Afghanistan | 13.7% (2024) | $2,236 (2024) | 25.7% (2024) |
| Algeria | 11.7% (2024) | $17,646 (2024) | 75.3% (2024) |
| Bahrain | 1.1% (2024) | $67,230 (2024) | 100.0% (2024) |
| Djibouti | 26.0% (2024) | $7,822 (2024) | 72.9% (2024) |
| Egypt, Arab Rep. | 6.8% (2024) | $19,122 (2024) | 42.8% (2024) |
| Iran, Islamic Rep. | 8.1% (2024) | $19,903 (2024) | 77.0% (2024) |
| Iraq | 15.3% (2024) | $14,485 (2024) | 69.9% (2024) |
| Israel | 3.6% (2024) | $57,278 (2024) | 91.5% (2024) |
| Jordan | 16.7% (2024) | $11,916 (2024) | 93.0% (2024) |
| Kuwait | 2.2% (2024) | $53,119 (2024) | 100.0% (2024) |
| Lebanon | 11.0% (2023) | $11,917 (2024) | 90.7% (2024) |
| Libya | 19.1% (2024) | $14,325 (2024) | 87.9% (2024) |
| Malta | 3.1% (2024) | $70,063 (2024) | 95.7% (2024) |
| Morocco | 9.1% (2024) | $10,430 (2024) | 62.8% (2024) |
| Oman | 3.2% (2024) | $41,801 (2024) | 79.4% (2024) |
| Pakistan | 5.5% (2024) | $6,263 (2024) | 39.2% (2024) |
| Qatar | 0.1% (2024) | $126,713 (2024) | 99.3% (2024) |
| Saudi Arabia | 3.5% (2024) | $71,936 (2024) | 84.5% (2024) |
| Syrian Arab Republic | 13.4% (2024) | $4,905 (2022) | 72.1% (2024) |
| Tunisia | 15.3% (2024) | $14,542 (2024) | 70.4% (2024) |
| United Arab Emirates | 2.2% (2024) | $79,344 (2024) | 85.8% (2024) |
| West Bank and Gaza | 24.4% (2022) | $4,771 (2024) | 87.1% (2024) |
| Yemen, Rep. | 17.0% (2024) | 36.8% (2024) |
About these figures
Every number on this page comes from the World Bank Open Data, with the year it was observed attached. World Bank data is released under CC BY 4.0 Retrieved 2026-11-01.
Formal and informal employment shares are not in this dataset.
This page describes the shape of the data. It does not rank countries against each other, and it says nothing about the people who live in them — a low figure is a fact about conditions and about what the source reports, not a verdict on a population. Our editorial standard.
See it as a life
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