Youth

Youth NEET

The term NEET refers to young individuals who are not engaged in employment, education, or training. The NEET rate is a critical indicator of youth disengagement from both the labor market and educational opportunities. It encompasses a broad spectrum of youth vulnerabilities, including unemployment, early school leaving, and labor market discouragement. The NEET concept is being emphasized to address these issues and promote decent work opportunities for youth.

 Generally, in most countries, youths are defined as persons between the ages of 15 and 24 years. In Tonga, youth are between the ages of 15 and 34 years. The table below summarizes the information from the 2021 Census.

 

Youth not in education, employment or training by age and sex, Tonga: 2021

Age Group

TONGA

Urban

Rural

Total

Male

Female

Total

Male

Female

Total

Male

Female

Youth NEET – Youth who are not in education, employment, nor training.

Total

 9,355

 3,929

 5,426

 1,633

 628

 1,005

 7,722

 3,301

 4,421

15-19

 1,749

 990

 759

 279

 156

 123

 1,470

 834

 636

20-24

 3,125

 1,352

 1,773

 533

 215

 318

 2,592

 1,137

 1,455

25-29

 2,380

 864

 1,516

 445

 145

 300

 1,935

 719

 1,216

30-34

 2,101

 723

 1,378

 376

 112

 264

 1,725

 611

 1,114

Youth working-age population.

Total

31,262

14,704

 16,558

 6,942

3,271

 3,671

 24,320

11,433

 12,887

15-19

11,209

 5,678

 5,531

 2,298

1,159

 1,139

 8,911

 4,519

 4,392

20-24

 8,030

 3,792

 4,238

 1,820

 869

 951

 6,210

 2,923

 3,287

25-29

 6,349

 2,748

 3,601

 1,529

 660

 869

 4,820

 2,088

 2,732

30-34

 5,674

 2,486

 3,188

 1,295

 583

 712

 4,379

 1,903

 2,476

Youth NEET Rate – Percentage of youth who are not in education, employment, nor training.

Total

29.9

26.7

32.8

23.5

19.2

27.4

31.8

28.9

34.3

15-19

15.6

17.4

13.7

12.1

13.5

10.8

16.5

18.5

14.5

20-24

38.9

35.7

41.8

29.3

24.7

33.4

41.7

38.9

44.3

25-29

37.5

31.4

42.1

29.1

22.0

34.5

40.1

34.4

44.5

30-34

37.0

29.1

43.2

29.0

19.2

37.1

39.4

32.1

45.0

Source: Tonga 2021 Population and Housing Volume 2 Analytical Report, Tonga Statistics Department

Total and relative size of the youth population (age 15-24) in Tonga, 2006, 2011 and 2016

Tonga’s Youth: Analysis of the situation of young people based on the 2016 Population and Housing Census

Youth Reports

Contact Person: Mele Sikimeti Manitisa