Young people in Sweden are increasingly likely to be neither working nor studying, according to new figures from the Swedish Agency for Youth and Civil Society (Myndigheten för ungdoms- och civilsamhällesfrågor, MUCF), which show a possible break in a long downward trend.
In 2024, 138,400 people aged 16 to 29 in Sweden were neither in work nor in education. That corresponds to 8.0 percent of the age group, up from 7.7 percent in 2023. The rise is modest, but MUCF says it may mark the beginning of a shift after several years of improvement.
The statistics are based on register data covering the full population aged 16 to 29. They are compiled from several public registers, including Statistics Sweden (Statistiska centralbyrån, SCB) and the Swedish Social Insurance Agency (Försäkringskassan). Because of this method, the most recent available year is 2024.
Sweden’s NEET rate rises after years of decline
The group is often described internationally as NEET, meaning young people not in employment, education or training. In Swedish policy language, MUCF usually refers to them as “young people who neither work nor study” (unga som varken arbetar eller studerar).
MUCF’s figures show that the number rose from 131,800 in 2023 to 138,400 in 2024. The increase affected both young women and young men. Among girls and young women, the share rose from 7.2 to 7.5 percent. Among boys and young men, it increased from 8.1 to 8.6 percent.
Magnus Jägerskog, Director General of MUCF, said the change should be read with caution but not ignored. Looking back to 2010, he noted, the overall direction has been downward. The new figures could therefore point to a possible trend reversal, although it will take more time to confirm whether this is a lasting change.
The timing is politically relevant. Sweden has faced a period of inflation, weak purchasing power and economic uncertainty, all of which can make the transition from school to work harder for young people with fewer resources or weaker labour market networks.
Foreign-born young men show the sharpest increase
The largest increase was recorded among foreign-born young men aged 16 to 24. Their share rose from 10.0 percent in 2023 to 11.3 percent in 2024. Among foreign-born young women in the same age group, the figure increased from 9.8 to 10.5 percent.
The broader picture remains more complex. Since 2010, the strongest improvement has actually been among young people born abroad. Their overall share among those neither working nor studying has fallen from 21.7 percent in 2010 to 13.9 percent in 2024. Among young people born in Sweden, the rate has changed less, from 7.4 percent in 2010 to 6.3 percent in 2024.
This means the recent increase does not erase the long-term progress among foreign-born youth. But it does highlight how vulnerable that progress may be during periods of economic pressure.
Young people born abroad, young people with disabilities, those with mental health problems and those living in socio-economically disadvantaged areas remain overrepresented in the group. For policymakers, the issue is therefore not only about employment statistics, but also about education, integration, health and local inequality.
Completing upper secondary school remains decisive
MUCF points to early school-based interventions as one of the most important tools. Completing upper secondary education is widely seen as a key threshold in the Swedish labour market. Without it, young people face a higher risk of long-term exclusion from both work and further education.
This is particularly important in Sweden’s labour market, where many entry-level jobs still require formal qualifications, language skills or previous experience. A weak school-to-work transition can therefore become a longer-term problem, especially for those already facing social or health-related barriers.
The Swedish government has previously argued that young people outside both work and education often need support from several actors at the same time. In 2024, it proposed additional funding for MUCF to strengthen the agency’s role in supporting municipalities and improving national coordination.
That approach reflects a broader challenge in Nordic welfare states. The problem is rarely solved by labour market measures alone. It often requires coordination between schools, employment services, municipalities, social services, health care and civil society organisations.
A warning sign for Sweden and the EU
Sweden still performs relatively well in a European comparison. Eurostat data for 2023 showed Sweden below the EU average for young people aged 15 to 29 who were neither in employment nor in education or training. The European Union has set a target of reducing the NEET rate among 15- to 29-year-olds to 9 percent by 2030.
But the new MUCF figures suggest that even countries with strong welfare institutions are not immune to reversals. Sweden’s case shows how youth exclusion can re-emerge when economic uncertainty meets unequal starting conditions.
For the Nordic model, the issue is central. High employment, broad access to education and strong social mobility are part of the region’s social contract. A rise in the number of young people outside both school and work is therefore more than a statistical fluctuation. It is an early warning about the ability of welfare systems to keep vulnerable young people connected to society.
The next figures will show whether 2024 was a temporary interruption or the beginning of a more persistent trend. For now, MUCF’s message is clear: Sweden should continue the methods that have worked, especially early support in school, while strengthening targeted help for the young people most at risk of being left behind.
