The Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) has disclosed that nearly two million young people in Ghana were not engaged in employment, education or training during the third quarter of 2025.
According to the Ghana Statistical Service, women make up more than 60 per cent of the affected population.
The GSS figures point to persistent challenges in providing young people with access to jobs and educational opportunities, despite the country’s large and growing youth population.
The GSS, in its publication Ghana in Numbers 2025, reported that the average proportion of young people aged 15 to 35 who were neither working nor participating in education or training stood at 17.9 per cent during the first three quarters of 2025.
Dr Alhassan Iddrisu, the Government Statistician, expressed concern about the number of young people in this category, commonly referred to as NEET, particularly the high proportion of young women.
“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.
He noted that nearly two million young Ghanaians fell within the group, with women accounting for more than six out of every 10 people affected.
The report also identified significant regional and geographical differences in the figures. The Central Region recorded a NEET rate of 25.3 per cent, the highest highlighted in the publication.
The data further showed that the rate in urban communities stood at 20.6 per cent, compared with 18 per cent in rural areas.
These findings come as Ghana’s youth population is estimated to have reached approximately 12 million in 2025, accounting for about one-third of the country’s total population.
The NEET classification covers young people who are neither employed nor enrolled in any form of education or training. It is distinct from the conventional unemployment measure, as it also captures individuals who may not be actively seeking work but are outside both the labour market and educational or training programmes.
The GSS said it intends to continue monitoring youth-related indicators in future editions of *Ghana in Numbers*. These will include unemployment levels, NEET rates, participation in informal employment and the extent to which education aligns with labour market demands.
The data are expected to provide policymakers with information to guide decisions on youth employment, skills development and educational opportunities.
In related news, Sherif Ghali, the President of the Ghana Youth Federation, has revealed that nearly 2 million Ghanaian youth are neither in education, employment nor training.
According to him, Ghanaian youth between the ages of 15 and 35 are without jobs, education or training.
He stressed that the situation highlights the scale of the youth employment crisis in the country, adding that youth unemployment remains significantly higher than the national average.
Sherif Ghali detailed that. Youth unemployment currently stands at 21.9%, compared with the national average of 12.8%, while the rate in the Greater Accra Region is 31.9%.
He stressed that the statistics should not be treated merely as figures, but should be understood as real challenges in securing jobs.
Speaking at the National Youth Forum on Wednesday, August 19, Mr Ghali, “Nearly 2 million young Ghanaians between age 15 and 35 are neither in education, nor employment, nor training. That is not a statistic. That is a young man in Wa who has sent out 40 applications and has not gotten any reply, not even a rejection”.
Mr Ghali cited the situation of young people who have completed apprenticeship programmes but lack the resources to establish their own businesses.
“That is a young woman in Kasoa who has finished apprenticeship, but for the past two years cannot raise 1,500 cedis to buy a sewing machine,” he said.
“A few days ago, KFC ran a promotion. The promotion said 15 cedis for chicken and fries. You saw the videos. Young people were pushing. Young people were fighting security to get inside,” he said.
According to him, the incident should prompt a broader conversation about the economic circumstances of young people.
@ghnow_ Media personality Nana Ama McBrown heaps praises on blogger Kobby Kyei for his impressive career and achievements in the media industry at the Content with Purpose event at the French Embassy. #GHNow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow
@ghnow_ Media personality Nana Ama McBrown advises content creators and online journalists to be genuine in their pursuit of money as she speaks at the Content with Purpose training event at the French Embassy. #GHNow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow
