Around one in 10 young people aged 20 to 24 in Germany is without a job, not in education or in a vocational training course, the Federal Statistical Office reported on Monday.
At 10% the share is higher than in the Netherlands (5.6%), Sweden or the Czech Republic but below the EU average of 12.9%, the office said. Romania has the highest rate at 22.8%.
A high share of young people who are not in education, training or work carries numerous social risks such as unemployment, low participation in society, rising crime or political frustration.
In Germany, the NEET rate - which stands for "not in employment, education or training" - has increased in recent years against the European trend. It was 8.8% in 2022.
Young women are currently more often affected at 10.5% than young men at 9.6%. Unlike the European pattern, fewer young people from this group are found in rural areas in Germany (7.9%) than in larger cities (10.6%).
The national education report from 2024 said about a quarter of those affected were looking for work. Around 10% reported being just ahead of starting a degree course, training or a job. However, almost two thirds said they were not able to work, often citing care responsibilities and health problems as reasons.