WASHINGTON — New World Bank data is drawing attention to a striking gender divide in the number of young people who are neither employed nor participating in education or training.

The World Bank’s latest Human Capital Index Plus analysis shows that young women are substantially more likely than young men to fall into the NEET category—meaning they are not in education, employment or training. The disparity is particularly pronounced in South Asia and in the Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan and Pakistan region.

Women Face a Much Higher NEET Risk

According to the World Bank’s analysis of people aged 20 to 24, about 40% of young women worldwide are neither studying nor working, compared with 17% of young men.

The regional differences are even more dramatic. In the Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan and Pakistan, the figure reaches approximately 63% for women, compared with 20% for men.

In South Asia, around 55% of young women are NEET, compared with 15% of young men.

The accompanying World Bank chart also shows significant gender gaps across other regions, although the difference is considerably smaller in Europe and Central Asia and North America.

South Asia Faces a Particularly Serious Challenge

The figures are especially important for South Asia, where the region’s large young population represents both an economic opportunity and a policy challenge.

Previous World Bank analysis found that young women make up a disproportionately large share of the region’s NEET population. A separate World Bank assessment estimated that, among South Asian youth, women were substantially more likely than men to be outside both education and employment.

The World Bank has warned that South Asia’s demographic profile could provide a powerful boost to economic growth if young people are successfully connected with education, skills and productive employment.

Why Are Young Women More Likely to Be NEET?

The World Bank says the reasons behind the gender gap extend beyond education.

Young women can face restrictions on mobility, workplace access, social expectations and household responsibilities. Security concerns and unpaid care work can also make it harder for women to enter or remain in the labor market.

This means that simply increasing school enrollment may not be enough. Policies also need to address the transition from education into employment.

Education Does Not Automatically Lead to Employment

One of the most important findings from the World Bank’s latest analysis is the contrast between educational performance and labor-market participation.

The World Bank notes that girls and young women often perform better than boys in education, yet women can accumulate less human capital over their working lives because of lower employment and fewer years of work experience.

This creates what economists describe as a school-to-work transition problem: educational gains do not always translate into economic opportunities.

A Lost Opportunity for Economic Growth

Being outside education, training and employment can have long-term consequences. Young people who are not working or acquiring skills may miss opportunities to build experience, professional networks and earning potential.

The World Bank describes NEET youth as particularly vulnerable to labor-market and social exclusion because they are neither gaining workplace experience nor necessarily developing skills that improve future employability.

For countries with large youth populations, reducing NEET rates could therefore become an important part of strengthening productivity and expanding economic participation.

What Could Help Close the Gap?

The data points toward the need for policies that make it easier for young women to move from education into employment.

Measures could include expanded vocational training, safer transportation, childcare support, flexible employment arrangements, improved access to finance and entrepreneurship opportunities, and efforts to remove barriers that prevent women from participating in the workforce.

The World Bank has emphasized that South Asia, in particular, needs stronger job creation and better-functioning labor markets to take advantage of its young population.

The Bigger Picture

The World Bank’s figures demonstrate that the global youth employment challenge is not evenly distributed. Gender plays a major role, with young women facing dramatically higher rates of exclusion from both education and employment in several regions.

Reducing this gap could provide millions of young women with greater opportunities to develop skills, earn incomes and contribute to their economies.

For countries facing rapidly changing demographics, transforming young women from an underutilized workforce into active participants in education and employment could become one of the most important sources of future economic growth.

Source: World Bank Human Capital Index Plus and World Bank Gender Data Portal, using labor-market data from the International Labour Organization.