Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income): Unemployment with basic education (% of total labor force with basic education)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2021, Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income)'s unemployment with basic education (% of total labor force with basic education) fell 1.02 percentage points on 2020 (from 12.57% to 11.55%).

Across the 9 yearly changes before that (2012 to 2020), the average change was −0.05 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 1.47 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.7 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 2.09 percentage points in 2018 and the biggest yearly fall was 2.72 percentage points in 2017. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2012 to 2021 there is no clear straight-line trend: a straight line explains 14% of the movement over 10 observed years, so the value is moving around more than it is heading anywhere.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

What this measures

The percentage of the labor force with a basic level of education who are unemployed. Basic education comprises primary education or lower secondary education according to the International Standard Classification of Education 2011 (ISCED 2011).

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a weighted average.

All 11 values

Unemployment with basic education (% of total labor force with basic education) in nearby economies

• Egypt, Arab Rep. — 3.42% (2024)
• Iran, Islamic Rep. — 4.99% (2024)
• Israel — 4.27% (2024)
• Malta — 4.18% (2024)
• Pakistan — 6.33% (2025)
• Tunisia — 14.24% (2023)
• West Bank and Gaza — 32.63% (2025)

More social protection & labor data for Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income)

• Net migration — 1.29 million (2025)
• Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asylum — 2.83 million (2025)
• Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of origin — 5.66 million (2025)
• Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) (modeled ILO estimate) — 31.56% (2025)
• Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) (modeled ILO estimate) — 49.25% (2025)
• Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) (modeled ILO estimate) — 40.59% (2025)

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Questions people ask

What is Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income)'s unemployment with basic education (% of total labor force with basic education)?

11.55% in 2021, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 2011?

It is down 1.46 percentage points from 13.01% in 2011. The highest value was 13.64% in 2014 and the lowest 8.71% in 2017.

Is the latest change in unemployment with basic education (% of total labor force with basic education) unusual for Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income)?

In 2021, Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income)'s unemployment with basic education (% of total labor force with basic education) fell 1.02 percentage points on 2020 (from 12.57% to 11.55%). Across the 9 yearly changes before that (2012 to 2020), the average change was −0.05 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 1.47 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.7 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator SL.UEM.BASC.ZS, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Education and Mismatch Indicators database (EMI), International Labour Organization (ILO), uri: https://ilostat.ilo.org/data/bulk/, publisher: ILOSTAT, type: external database, date accessed: March 30, 2026 Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

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