Eurostat: 17.4% of young people aged 20-34 were neither in employment nor in education

"Around one in six (or 16.5%) young people aged 20-34 were neither in employment nor in education and training (NEET) in the European Union (EU) in 2018", according to Eurostat, the statistical office of the EU.

Eurostat reports that the figure corresponds to "approximately 15 million young people".

In Cyprus the rate is slightly higher at 17.4% (ranking 9th largest), while Greece is 2nd with 26.8%, after Italy (28.9%).

Meanwhile the lowest NEET rates for people aged 20–34 in 2018 were in Sweden (8.0%), the Netherlands (8.4%), Luxembourg (9.9%) and Malta (10.1%). For women aged 20-34, the NEET rate in 2018 was 20.9%, compared with 12.2% for 20-34 year old men, Eurostat reports.