Close to two million Ghanaians aged 15 to 35 were neither working nor in education or training in the third quarter of 2025, with young women accounting for more than six in every ten of them, the Ghana Statistical Service has reported.
The figures highlight the scale of the challenge facing Ghana as it seeks to translate its growing youth population into productive economic participation.
According to the GSS publication, Ghana in Numbers 2025, the average rate of young people in the category known as NEET was 17.9% 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, required 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 data also reveal differences across the country. The Central Region recorded a NEET rate of 25.3%, the highest figure highlighted in the publication. The rate was 20.6% in urban areas, compared with 18% in rural communities.
The findings come against the backdrop of a youth population estimated at 12 million in 2025, representing roughly one in every three people in Ghana.
The figures distinguish the NEET population from young people who are simply unemployed. The category includes those who are not employed and are also not enrolled in education or training.
The GSS said future editions of Ghana in Numbers will track youth unemployment, NEET rates, informal work, and the alignment between education and jobs to support planning and policy decisions.
