A decade ago, nearly 1 in 3 young Italians was neither studying nor working. Today, that proportion has almost halved, marking one of Italy's most significant improvements in youth education and employment.
According to the OECD's Education at a Glance 2026 report, the percentage of Italians aged 18–24 classified as NEETs – young people not in employment, education or training – declined from 30% in 2015 to 16% in 2025. The 14-percentage-point reduction is particularly notable compared with the OECD average, which decreased from 16% to 13% among countries with comparable data.
