Nearly two million young Ghanaians aged between 15 and 35 were neither employed nor enrolled in education or training during the third quarter of 2025, with young women accounting for more than 60 per cent of the affected population, according to the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS).
The figures highlight the growing challenge of youth economic participation in Ghana, as the country seeks to turn its expanding young population into a productive workforce.
According to the GSS publication, Ghana in Numbers 2025, the average proportion of young people classified as Not in Employment, Education or Training (NEET) stood at 17.9 per cent during the first three quarters of 2025.
Government Statistician, Dr Alhassan Iddrisu, said the number of young people outside employment, education and training, particularly women, remained a major concern requiring urgent attention.
“Close to two million young people are neither working nor in education or training, what we refer to as the NEET group, and more than six in ten of them are young women,” he said.
The report also reveals significant regional and geographical disparities in youth participation.
The Central Region recorded the highest NEET rate highlighted in the publication, at 25.3 per cent, indicating that approximately one in every four young people in the region was outside employment, education or training.
The figures further show that the situation was more pronounced in urban communities, where the NEET rate stood at 20.6 per cent, compared with 18 per cent in rural areas.
The findings come against the backdrop of Ghana’s growing youth population, estimated at 12 million in 2025, representing approximately one-third of the country’s total population.
The statistics underscore the need for targeted interventions to improve access to employment, education and skills development, particularly for young women who constitute the majority of those within the NEET category.
The GSS explained that the NEET classification goes beyond conventional unemployment figures because it captures young people who are neither working nor participating in any form of education or training.
This means the category includes individuals who may not necessarily be actively searching for jobs but remain disconnected from both the labour market and opportunities to acquire relevant skills.
The Statistical Service said future editions of Ghana in Numbers would continue tracking youth unemployment, NEET rates, informal employment and the alignment between educational programmes and labour market demands.
