Montenegro: Unemployment, youth male (% of male labor force ages 15-24) (national estimate)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2024, Montenegro's unemployment, youth male (% of male labor force ages 15-24) (national estimate) rose 6.42 percentage points on 2023 (from 20.11% to 26.52%).

Across the 12 yearly changes before that (2012 to 2023), the average change was −1.29 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 7.47 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.0 standard deviations above that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 10.59 percentage points in 2012 and the biggest yearly fall was 13.99 percentage points in 2023. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2015 to 2024 the straight-line trend is downward, about 1.17 percentage points a year. A straight line explains 31% of the movement over 10 observed years.

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

How it compares

In 2024, Montenegro had the 4th highest value of the 20 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to Montenegro in the 2024 ranking

• South Africa — 1st of 20: 56.99%
• Botswana — 2nd of 20: 42.42%
• Jordan — 3rd of 20: 41.26%
• Luxembourg — 5th of 20: 24.45%
• Albania — 6th of 20: 22.28%
• Iran, Islamic Rep. — 7th of 20: 17.72%

What this measures

Youth unemployment refers to the share of the labor force ages 15-24 without work but available for and seeking employment. Definitions of labor force and unemployment differ by country.

Limitations: The criteria for people considered to be seeking work, and the treatment of people temporarily laid off or seeking work for the first time, vary across countries. In many cases it is especially difficult to measure employment and unemployment in agriculture. The timing of a survey can maximize the effects of seasonal unemployment in agriculture. And informal sector employment is difficult to quantify where informal activities are not tracked.

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

All 15 values

Unemployment, youth male (% of male labor force ages 15-24) (national estimate) in nearby economies

• Albania — 22.28% (2024)
• Armenia — 18.38% (2023)
• Austria — 12.83% (2025)
• Azerbaijan — 12.1% (2022)
• Belarus — 10.64% (2025)
• Belgium — 18.8% (2025)
• Bosnia and Herzegovina — 29.07% (2025)
• Bulgaria — 13.95% (2025)

More social protection & labor data for Montenegro

• Net migration — -9,279 (2025)
• Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) (modeled ILO estimate) — 39.12% (2025)
• Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) (modeled ILO estimate) — 48.06% (2025)
• Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) (modeled ILO estimate) — 43.69% (2025)
• Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages 15-64) (modeled ILO estimate) — 65.55% (2025)
• Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) (modeled ILO estimate) — 76.35% (2025)
• Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15-64) (modeled ILO estimate) — 70.87% (2025)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
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• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is Montenegro's unemployment, youth male (% of male labor force ages 15-24) (national estimate)?

26.52% in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 2007?

It is down 5.9 percentage points from 32.42% in 2007. The highest value was 46.23% in 2012 and the lowest 20.11% in 2023.

How does Montenegro rank?

4th highest of 20 economies with data for 2024.

Is the latest change in unemployment, youth male (% of male labor force ages 15-24) (national estimate) unusual for Montenegro?

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator SL.UEM.1524.MA.NE.ZS, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO), uri: https://ilostat.ilo.org/data/bulk/, publisher: ILOSTAT, type: external database, date accessed: September 28, 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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