Close to two million Ghanaians aged 15 to 35 were neither in employment, education nor training in the third quarter of 2025, the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) has revealed.
More than six in ten of them are young women. The figures, contained in the GSS publication Ghana in Numbers 2025, show an average NEET rate of 17.9% in the first three quarters of 2025.
Government Statistician, Dr. Alhassan Iddrisu, said the situation, particularly the gender disparity, requires 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 data also shows significant regional and locational differences. Central Region recorded the highest NEET rate at 25.3%.
The rate was higher in urban areas (20.6%) than in rural areas (18%).The findings come at a time when Ghana’s youth population is estimated at 12 million in 2025, representing about one-third of the country’s population.
The GSS explained that NEET goes beyond unemployment, covering young people who are not working and are also not in school or any form of training.
It said future editions of the report will track youth unemployment, NEET rates, informal work and the link between education and jobs to guide policy.
