Nearly 2 million young Ghanaians aged between 15 and 35 years are currently not in education, employment or training (NEET), according to the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS). The data, released on Tuesday, 28 July 2026, as part of activities marking World Population Day 2026, shows that these young people represented about 19.5 per cent of Ghana’s youth population as of the third quarter of 2025.
The GSS also revealed that Ghana’s youth unemployment rate stands at 21.9 per cent, almost twice the national unemployment rate of 12.8 per cent. Young people make up 36.9 per cent of Ghana’s projected population of 33.7 million, highlighting both the potential and challenges associated with the country’s growing youth population.
Regional disparities in youth unemployment remain significant, with the Greater Accra Region recording the highest rate at 31.9 per cent, followed by the Central Region at 27.4 per cent and the Ashanti Region at 27.2 per cent.
The report further highlighted challenges affecting young women, noting that the 2022 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey found that 15 per cent of girls aged 15 to 19 had experienced pregnancy, with 11 per cent having given birth.
The GSS said addressing youth unemployment and inactivity requires increased investment in technical and vocational education, improved school-to-work transition programmes, entrepreneurship support, and expansion of productive sectors to create decent jobs.
This year’s World Population Day is being marked under the theme: “Investing in Ghana’s Future through Healthy, Skilled and Empowered Young People.” The GSS said the country’s ability to turn its youthful population into an economic advantage depends on deliberate investments in skills development, health and empowerment.