According to the Ghana Statistical Service's (GSS) Ghana in Numbers 2025 report, nearly two million Ghanaians between the ages of 15 and 35 were classified as neither in employment, education nor training — a category statisticians refer to as NEET — in the third quarter of 2025. This figure highlights how a sizeable share of the country's youth remain locked out of both the job market and the classroom. The Government Statistician, Dr Alhassan Iddrisu, has disclosed that more than six in ten of Ghana's almost 2 million idle youth are young women.
The GSS report put the average NEET rate at 17.9% across the first three quarters of 2025. Regionally, the Central Region recorded the highest rate nationwide at 25.3%, well above the national average. The data also showed a sharper divide between town and country, with urban areas posting a NEET rate of 20.6% against 18% in rural communities. This divide suggests that the issue of youth unemployment and disengagement from education is more pronounced in certain regions and urban areas.
Dr Iddrisu said the scale of the problem, and the gender imbalance within it, should concern policymakers. He emphasized that close to two million young people are neither working nor in education or training, and more than six in ten of them are young women. This imbalance indicates a significant gender gap in the country's labour market. The GSS explained that the NEET measure captures more than conventional unemployment figures, since it also counts young people who are not actively job-hunting and are not enrolled in any form of schooling or skills training.
Ghana's youth population, those aged 15 to 35, is estimated at 12 million in 2025, roughly a third of the country's total population. This means the NEET group represents a significant slice of the demographic that government planners typically count on to drive economic growth. The issue of youth unemployment and disengagement from education has significant implications for the country's future economic prospects and social stability.
The figures land just as new efforts to plug Ghana's employment gap are getting under way. A government-backed platform called Sankofa Job has been launched to connect skilled but jobless Ghanaians with employers without requiring a traditional CV. This initiative aims to address the issue of youth unemployment by providing a platform for young people to access job opportunities.
Whether such initiatives can meaningfully dent a NEET population approaching two million, and specifically reach the young women who make up most of it, remains to be seen from the data available so far. The GSS said future editions of its Ghana in Numbers series will continue tracking youth unemployment, informal employment and NEET rates, alongside how education outcomes relate to labour market opportunities, to help shape policy responses.
The GSS report provides valuable insights into the issue of youth unemployment and disengagement from education in Ghana. The data highlights the need for policymakers to address the root causes of this issue and develop effective strategies to engage young people in the labour market and education system. The report also underscores the importance of addressing the gender imbalance in the labour market and ensuring that young women have equal access to job opportunities and education.
Key points
- More than six in ten of Ghana's almost 2 million idle youth are young women.
- The Central Region recorded the highest NEET rate nationwide at 25.3%.
- Ghana's youth population, those aged 15 to 35, is estimated at 12 million in 2025.
