Nearly two million Ghanaians aged between 15 and 35 were outside employment, education and training in the third quarter of 2025, with young women making up more than 60% of the group, the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) has disclosed.

The figures point to persistent challenges in youth employment and skills development as Ghana’s young population continues to grow.

The GSS, in its Ghana in Numbers 2025 publication, reported that the average proportion of young people classified as not in employment, education or training (NEET) was 17.9% during the first three quarters of 2025.

Government Statistician Dr Alhassan Iddrisu said the scale of the problem, particularly among young women, was a concern.

“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.

Regional figures show that the Central Region recorded the highest NEET rate, at 25.3%, highlighting differences in youth participation across the country.

The report also found that the NEET rate was higher in urban areas, at 20.6%, than in rural communities, where it stood at 18%.

Ghana’s youth population was estimated at 12 million in 2025, accounting for roughly one in every three people in the country.

The NEET measure captures young people who are neither working nor engaged in education or training, distinguishing them from those who are unemployed but may still be studying or receiving training.

The GSS said subsequent editions of Ghana in Numbers would monitor youth unemployment, NEET rates, informal work and the relationship between education and employment to guide policy formulation and national planning.