Employment and Opportunity

Key Facts

  • Over the period, this domain improved by just over 3%. That progress was driven by a 27% improvement in the ‘account’ score measuring youth access to a bank account or mobile money.
  • The average score for adolescent fertility has increased by 3.4% reflecting fewer pregnancies before age 20.
  • Levels of underemployment and shares of young people not in education, employment or training (NEET) have largely remained constant. Formal and full economic engagement of youth has not advanced.
  • Seven of the top ranked Commonwealth countries in this domain were small states, including five Small Island Developing States (SIDS) – Singapore, Malta, New Zealand, Canada, Cyprus, Malaysia, Mauritius, Jamaica, Fiji, and the Solomon Islands.
Top Global Performers in Employment and Opportunity
Rank Country Score
1 Singapore 0.969
2 Norway 0.968
3 Slovenia 0.965
4 Luxembourg 0.963
5 Malta 0.953
6 Denmark 0.951
7 Sweden 0.948
8 Finland 0.945
9 Netherlands 0.942
10 Austria 0.941

Report Highlights

Download the report for insights into:

  • The effect of COVID-19 on employment losses for youth
  • Achieving decent work for youth in the post-pandemic era.
  • Youth experiences in the digital economy.
  • Innovation ecosystems to capture the value of young people’s creations.
  • Enhancing digital skills through Rwanda’s Digital Ambassador Programme.
  • How sport contributes to decent work and economic growth.
  • Examples of #YouthTakingCharge through social enterprises which support authors, animators, digital content creators and other entrepreneurs involved in ethical and ecologically sustainable businesses.
book image

Download the Youth Development Index

2020 Global Youth Development Index Report