Employment & Wages•Series ID: M13.3.1524.20.AUS.M•1978–2026
Youth Unemployment Rate (Aged 15–24) - Historical Data
Tracks labour market entry conditions for younger workers and school/university leavers across economic cycles.
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Current Statistics & Historical Records
Latest Reading (Sep 2026)
11.1%
Prev (Aug 2026): 10.9%+0.3 pp
Highest Recorded (Oct 1992)
20.1%
Recorded in Oct 1992
Lowest Recorded (Jul 2022)
7.1%
Post-pandemic inflation surge & rapid RBA tightening cycle
Long-Run Mean (1978–2026)
12.9%
49 annual observations · Monthly
Youth Unemployment Rate (Aged 15–24) - Historical Series (1978–2026)
%Drag to pan, scroll to zoom, or toggle between full annual history (1978–2026) and recent monthly releases.
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Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) (M13.3.1524.20.AUS.M) Latest: 11.1 % (Sep 2026)
Youth Unemployment Rate (Aged 15–24) by Decade (1978–2026)
Decade averages, peaks, and troughs across Australian economic cycles
1970s1978–1979
12.9%
High (1979):13.0%
Low (1978):12.8%
1980s1980–1989
14.2%
High (1983):18.3%
Low (1989):11.1%
1990s1990–1999
16.0%
High (1992):19.3%
Low (1990):13.1%
2000s2000–2009
11.2%
High (2001):13.5%
Low (2008):8.8%
2010s2010–2019
12.3%
High (2014):13.3%
Low (2011):11.4%
2020s2020–2026
10.3%
High (2020):14.4%
Low (2022):8.2%
Youth Unemployment Rate (Aged 15–24) - Historical Table (1978–2026)
Unit: % · Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) (M13.3.1524.20.AUS.M)
| Year | Youth Unemployment (%) | Year Range (Low – High) | Historical Context / Year Snapshot |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 10.5% | 9.6% – 11.1% | The Australian Economy in 2026 → |
| 2025 | 9.6% | 8.6% – 10.5% | Disinflation & monetary policy recalibration |
| 2024 | 9.4% | 8.6% – 9.9% | The Australian Economy in 2024 → |
| 2023 | 8.5% | 7.8% – 9.7% | The Australian Economy in 2023 → |
| 2022 | 8.2% | 7.1% – 9.1% | Post-pandemic inflation surge & rapid RBA tightening cycle |
| 2021 | 11.4% | 9.5% – 14.1% | The Australian Economy in 2021 → |
| 2020 | 14.4% | 11.8% – 16.6% | COVID-19 pandemic shock & 0.10% cash rate floor |
| 2019 | 11.9% | 11.2% – 12.6% | The Australian Economy in 2019 → |
| 2018 | 11.9% | 11.1% – 13.1% | The Australian Economy in 2018 → |
| 2017 | 12.7% | 12.3% – 13.2% | The Australian Economy in 2017 → |
| 2016 | 12.7% | 11.7% – 13.7% | The Australian Economy in 2016 → |
| 2015 | 13.1% | 12.2% – 14.2% | The Australian Economy in 2015 → |
| 2014 | 13.3% | 12.3% – 14.4% | The Australian Economy in 2014 → |
| 2013 | 12.2% | 11.7% – 13.0% | The Australian Economy in 2013 → |
| 2012 | 11.7% | 10.9% – 12.1% | The Australian Economy in 2012 → |
| 2011 | 11.4% | 11.0% – 11.9% | China mining investment & Terms of Trade supercycle peak |
| 2010 | 11.6% | 11.1% – 12.0% | The Australian Economy in 2010 → |
| 2009 | 11.5% | 10.2% – 12.3% | The Australian Economy in 2009 → |
| 2008 | 8.8% | 7.6% – 9.7% | Global Financial Crisis (GFC) & emergency rate cuts |
| 2007 | 9.4% | 9.0% – 10.0% | The Australian Economy in 2007 → |
| 2006 | 10.0% | 9.1% – 10.7% | The Australian Economy in 2006 → |
| 2005 | 10.6% | 9.9% – 11.0% | The Australian Economy in 2005 → |
| 2004 | 11.4% | 11.0% – 11.8% | The Australian Economy in 2004 → |
| 2003 | 12.0% | 11.4% – 12.5% | The Australian Economy in 2003 → |
| 2002 | 12.8% | 12.1% – 13.7% | The Australian Economy in 2002 → |
| 2001 | 13.5% | 12.0% – 14.4% | The Australian Economy in 2001 → |
| 2000 | 12.1% | 11.1% – 12.8% | Introduction of the 10% Goods and Services Tax (GST) |
| 1999 | 13.1% | 12.5% – 13.6% | The Australian Economy in 1999 → |
| 1998 | 14.5% | 13.4% – 15.1% | The Australian Economy in 1998 → |
| 1997 | 15.9% | 15.0% – 16.5% | The Australian Economy in 1997 → |
| 1996 | 15.7% | 14.8% – 16.4% | The Australian Economy in 1996 → |
| 1995 | 15.2% | 14.5% – 15.7% | The Australian Economy in 1995 → |
| 1994 | 16.8% | 15.1% – 18.2% | The Australian Economy in 1994 → |
| 1993 | 18.5% | 18.3% – 18.9% | RBA formalises 2–3% inflation targeting |
| 1992 | 19.3% | 18.7% – 20.1% | The Australian Economy in 1992 → |
| 1991 | 17.6% | 15.5% – 19.0% | Early 1990s recession ("The recession we had to have") |
| 1990 | 13.1% | 11.6% – 15.5% | Monetary tightening peak (17.5% Cash Rate) |
| 1989 | 11.1% | 10.4% – 12.2% | The Australian Economy in 1989 → |
| 1988 | 13.4% | 12.2% – 14.9% | The Australian Economy in 1988 → |
| 1987 | 14.9% | 14.3% – 15.4% | October 1987 sharemarket crash |
| 1986 | 15.0% | 14.2% – 15.7% | The Australian Economy in 1986 → |
| 1985 | 15.1% | 14.2% – 16.3% | The Australian Economy in 1985 → |
| 1984 | 16.8% | 15.8% – 17.5% | The Australian Economy in 1984 → |
| 1983 | 18.3% | 17.2% – 19.1% | Float of the Australian Dollar & Prices and Incomes Accord |
| 1982 | 13.8% | 11.9% – 17.4% | Early 1980s recession & drought |
| 1981 | 11.4% | 10.4% – 12.1% | The Australian Economy in 1981 → |
| 1980 | 12.5% | 12.0% – 12.9% | The Australian Economy in 1980 → |
| 1979 | 13.0% | 12.5% – 13.3% | The Australian Economy in 1979 → |
| 1978 | 12.8% | 12.2% – 13.7% | The Australian Economy in 1978 → |
Related Australian Economic Statistics
Source Information & Methodology
- Primary Institution:
- Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS)
- Dataset / Publication:
- Labour Force Age Groups - Youth Unemployment Rate (15–24)
- Series / Table ID:
- ABS Dataflow LF_AGES (M13.3.1524.20.AUS.M)
- Release Frequency:
- Monthly
• Primary source: Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) - Labour Force Age Groups - Youth Unemployment Rate (15–24) (ABS Dataflow LF_AGES).
• Observation frequency: Monthly. Annual table values represent calendar year averages.
• Series coverage spans 1978 to 2026 (49 annual observations).
APA Citation:Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2026). Labour Force Age Groups - Youth Unemployment Rate (15–24) (Dataflow LF_AGES: M13.3.1524.20.AUS.M). Retrieved October 2026 from https://data.api.abs.gov.au
Frequently Asked Questions: Youth Unemployment Rate (Aged 15–24)
- What is the current Youth Unemployment Rate (Aged 15–24)?
- As of Sep 2026, the latest recorded Youth Unemployment Rate (Aged 15–24) is 11.1 (%), compared with 10.9 in Aug 2026.
- What is the highest and lowest Youth Unemployment Rate (Aged 15–24) ever recorded in Australia?
- Across the historical series (1978–2026), the highest observation was 20.1 (%) in Oct 1992, while the lowest was 7.1 (%) in Jul 2022. The long-run historical average is 12.9.
- Where is the official Youth Unemployment Rate (Aged 15–24) data sourced from?
- This series is compiled from Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) (Labour Force Age Groups - Youth Unemployment Rate (15–24), Series ID: M13.3.1524.20.AUS.M) and is updated on a monthly basis under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0).