Youth unemployment still tops 20 percent in Spain, Italy, Greece heading into 2026
By Muntasir Minhaz • Published Jun 21, 2026 • Career Planning, Study in Europe, Education News & Policy
EU youth unemployment was 15.5% in June 2026, but Spain and several other countries stay far above that, with rates over 20% in parts of southern and northern Europe.
💶 EU average 15.5%, euro area 14.8%, June 2026.
📩 Highest in June 2026: Sweden 24.9%, Spain 23.4%, Finland 23.2%.
🏠 Lowest: Germany 7.1%, Cyprus 7.8%, Malta 9.5%.
⏱️ Romania hit 28.2% in March 2026, the highest EU reading this year.
Where EU youth unemployment stands in 2026
The EU youth unemployment rate (under 25) was 15.5% in June 2026, with the euro area slightly lower at 14.8%, according to Eurostat . Close to 3 million young people were unemployed across the EU that month, of whom 2.35 million lived in the euro area.
The EU-wide figure hides large gaps between countries. Sweden had the highest rate in June 2026 at 24.9%, followed by Spain at 23.4% and Finland at 23.2%. Germany sat at the other end at 7.1%, with Cyprus at 7.8% and Malta at 9.5%.
How your target country compares
The table below places more countries against the EU average, using the same June 2026 Eurostat release. Spain is the only country named in this article's headline that sits above 20% in the most recent reading. Italy and Greece both sit close to that line without crossing it, at 18.4% and 19.5%.
| Country | Youth unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| Germany | 7.1% |
| Cyprus | 7.8% |
| Malta | 9.5% |
| Poland | 12.6% |
| EU average | 15.5% |
| Italy | 18.4% |
| Portugal | 18.9% |
| Greece | 19.5% |
| France | 21.1% |
| Finland | 23.2% |
| Spain | 23.4% |
| Sweden | 24.9% |
Figures cover June 2026 and come from the same Eurostat release as the EU and euro area averages above. A gap of nearly 18 percentage points separates the lowest reading (Germany) from the highest (Sweden) in the same month, inside a single labor market with free movement for workers and students.
Romania and southern Europe stay under pressure
Romania posted the highest youth unemployment rate of any EU country earlier in 2026, at 28.2% in March, according to Statista data drawn from Eurostat . That reading came three months before the June figures above, and the gap between Romania's March peak and the EU average shows how sharply one country's youth labor market can move within a single year.
Southern Europe's long-standing youth unemployment problem continues too. Italy and Greece have both held rates in the high teens through 2025 and into 2026, consistently above the EU average even as both countries' overall unemployment numbers have improved compared to a decade ago. Spain remains the harder market for young job seekers among the three, with a rate that has stayed above 20% for years rather than approaching it from below like Italy and Greece.
If you plan to job hunt after graduating in Spain, Sweden or Finland, expect a longer search and stronger competition than in countries like Germany, Malta or Poland, where youth unemployment sits well under half the rate in those countries.
What this means if you are choosing where to work after graduation
The rate in your target country does not fix your own odds, but it sets the baseline competition you face and how quickly local employers tend to hire.
Countries with youth unemployment under 10%, like Germany, Malta and Cyprus, tend to have faster hiring processes for new graduates.
Countries above 20%, including Spain, Sweden and Finland, need a longer job search runway and more networking before you arrive.
Countries sitting close to the EU average, like Italy, Greece and Portugal, fall between the two extremes, so treat local sector demand as the bigger factor rather than the national rate alone.
EU freedom of movement lets you job hunt in a lower-unemployment country even if you studied in a higher-unemployment one, without needing a separate work visa.