Eurostat data for 2025 shows that 11% of young people aged 15 to 29 in the European Union are classified as NEET, meaning they are neither in employment, education, nor training. This marks a slight decline from 11.1% in 2024 and a more notable drop from 15.2% in 2015, indicating gradual progress across the bloc.
The figures also show clear differences between age groups. Among those aged 15 to 19, the NEET rate stands at 5.3%. It rises sharply in the 20 to 24 age bracket, reaching 12.8%, and increases further among 25 to 29-year-olds, where it reaches 14.7%.
At the country level, the lowest shares are recorded in the Netherlands at 5.3%, followed by Sweden at 5.9% and Slovenia at 7.6%. These countries remain among the strongest performers in youth engagement in education and employment.
Bulgaria, however, is positioned near the bottom of the EU ranking. In 2025, 13.8% of young people in the country fall into the NEET category, placing Bulgaria second in the European Union. Only Romania records a higher share at 19.2%, while Greece follows closely behind Bulgaria at 13.6%.
The Bulgarian figure represents an increase compared to 2024, when the rate stood at 12.7%, meaning a rise of 1.1 percentage points year-on-year. At that time, Bulgaria ranked sixth in the EU. Despite this recent increase, Eurostat highlights a longer-term improvement, noting that in 2015 the country’s NEET rate was significantly higher at 22.2%.
