NEET age 16 to 24
Calendar year 2025

Description

This document describes the data included in the ‘NEET age 16-24’ release’s underlying data file. This data is released under the terms of the  Open Government License. (opens in a new tab) (opens in new tab) (http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/)

The methodology document published with the release should be referenced alongside this data. It provides information on the data sources, their coverage and quality as well as explaining methodology used in producing the data.

Coverage

The data used in this publication covers young people who reside in England, and is based on the academic age as at 31st August. The publication’s underlying data contains NEET and NET estimates for the age groups, 16 to 17, 16 to 18, 16 to 21, 16 to 24, 18 to 21, 18 to 24 and 19 to 24. It also includes breakdowns by sex, labour market status breakdowns and regional breakdowns.

Quarterly NEET estimates for the UK (opens in a new tab) (opens in new tab) (https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peoplenotinwork/unemployment/bulletins/youngpeoplenotineducationemploymentortrainingneet/previousreleases) are published by the Office for National Statistics. They differ to the figures in the DfE NEET brief as they are for the whole of the UK, are based on calendar age and are seasonally adjusted.

File formats and conventions

The underlying data files contain unrounded figures as estimated from the survey data as outlined in the accompanying methodology document.

No suppression has been applied, as the data is not considered sensitive and no additional characteristic or geography variables are included to enable individuals to be accurately identified.

Data files

NEET and NET Estimates from the LFS

Filename: neet_and_net_estimates_from_the_lfs.csv
Geographic levels: National; Regional
Time period: 2000 to 2025
Content summary: Not in employment, education and training (NEET) and not in education and training (NET) estimates for England and the English regions ages 16-24.

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name                                      |  Variable description
-------------------------------------------------  |  -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
age                                                |  Age - Filter by age
employment_rate_net_percent                        |  Employment rate as a percentage of the NET group
employment_rate_net_percent_ci_plusminus           |  Confidence interval (95%) for the employment rate of the NET group
employment_rate_net_percent_lower                  |  Lower bound employment rate of the NET group
employment_rate_net_percent_upper                  |  Upper bound employment rate of the NET group
ilo_unemployed_less_6months_count                  |  Number who are ILO unemployed for less than 6 months
ilo_unemployed_less_6months_count_ci_plusminus     |  Confidence interval (95%) for the number unemployed for less than 6 months
ilo_unemployed_less_6months_count_lower            |  Lower bound number ILO unemployed less 6 months
ilo_unemployed_less_6months_count_upper            |  Upper bound number ILO unemployed less 6 months
ilo_unemployed_less_6months_percent                |  Percentage of population ILO unemployed for less than 6 months
ilo_unemployed_less_6months_percent_ci_plusminus   |  Confidence interval (95%) for the percentage unemployed for less than 6 months
ilo_unemployed_less_6months_percent_lower          |  Lower bound percent ILO unemployed less 6 months
ilo_unemployed_less_6months_percent_upper          |  Upper bound percent ILO unemployed less 6 months
ilo_unemployed_more_12months_count                 |  Number who are ILO unemployed for more than 12 months
ilo_unemployed_more_12months_count_ci_plusminus    |  Confidence interval (95%) for the number unemployed for more than 12 months
ilo_unemployed_more_12months_count_lower           |  Lower bound number ILO unemployed more 12 months
ilo_unemployed_more_12months_count_upper           |  Upper bound number ILO unemployed more 12 months
ilo_unemployed_more_12months_percent               |  Percentage of population ILO unemployed for more than 12 months
ilo_unemployed_more_12months_percent_ci_plusminus  |  Confidence interval (95%) for the percentage unemployed for more than 12 months
ilo_unemployed_more_12months_percent_lower         |  Lower bound percent ILO unemployed more 12 months
ilo_unemployed_more_12months_percent_upper         |  Upper bound percent ILO unemployed more 12 months
ilo_unemployed_more_6months_count                  |  Number who are ILO unemployed for more than 6 months
ilo_unemployed_more_6months_count_ci_plusminus     |  Confidence interval (95%) for the number unemployed for more than 6 months
ilo_unemployed_more_6months_count_lower            |  Lower bound number ILO unemployed more 6 months
ilo_unemployed_more_6months_count_upper            |  Upper bound number ILO unemployed more 6 months
ilo_unemployed_more_6months_percent                |  Percentage of population ILO unemployed for more than 6 months
ilo_unemployed_more_6months_percent_ci_plusminus   |  Confidence interval (95%) for the percentage unemployed for more than 6 months
ilo_unemployed_more_6months_percent_lower          |  Lower bound percent ILO unemployed more 6 months
ilo_unemployed_more_6months_percent_upper          |  Upper bound percent ILO unemployed more 6 months
inactive_does_not_want_a_job_count                 |  Number who were inactive and does not want a job
inactive_does_not_want_a_job_count_ci_plusminus    |  Confidence interval (95%) for the number inactive and does not want a job
inactive_does_not_want_a_job_count_lower           |  Lower bound number inactive does not want a job
inactive_does_not_want_a_job_count_upper           |  Upper bound number inactive does not want a job
inactive_does_not_want_a_job_percent               |  Percentage of population who were inactive and does not want a job
inactive_does_not_want_a_job_percent_ci_plusminus  |  Confidence interval (95%) for the percentage inactive and does not want a job
inactive_does_not_want_a_job_percent_lower         |  Lower bound percent inactive does not want a job
inactive_does_not_want_a_job_percent_upper         |  Upper bound percent inactive does not want a job
inactive_longterm_temp_sick_count                  |  Number where inactivity was due to long-term or temporarily sick
inactive_longterm_temp_sick_count_ci_plusminus     |  Confidence interval (95%) for the number inactive due to long-term or temp sick
inactive_longterm_temp_sick_count_lower            |  Lower bound number inactive due to long-term or temporary sick
inactive_longterm_temp_sick_count_upper            |  Upper bound number inactive due to long-term or temporary sick
inactive_longterm_temp_sick_percent                |  Percentage of population where inactivity due to long-term or temporarily sick
inactive_longterm_temp_sick_percent_ci_plusminus   |  Confidence interval (95%) for percentage inactive due to long-term or temp sick
inactive_longterm_temp_sick_percent_lower          |  Lower bound percent inactive due to long-term or temporary sick
inactive_longterm_temp_sick_percent_upper          |  Upper bound percent inactive due to long-term or temporary sick
inactive_look_after_fam_home_count                 |  Number where inactivity was due to looking after family/home
inactive_look_after_fam_home_count_ci_plusminus    |  Confidence interval (95%) for the number inactive due to look after family/home
inactive_look_after_fam_home_count_lower           |  Lower bound number inactive due to looking after family or home
inactive_look_after_fam_home_count_upper           |  Upper bound number inactive due to looking after family or home
inactive_look_after_fam_home_percent               |  Percentage of population where inactivity was due to looking after family/home
inactive_look_after_fam_home_percent_ci_plusminus  |  Confidence interval (95%) for percentage inactive due to look after family/home
inactive_look_after_fam_home_percent_lower         |  Lower bound percent inactive due to looking after family or home
inactive_look_after_fam_home_percent_upper         |  Upper bound percent inactive due to looking after family or home
inactive_other_count                               |  Number where inactivity was due to other
inactive_other_count_ci_plusminus                  |  Confidence interval (95%) for the number inactive due to other
inactive_other_count_lower                         |  Lower bound number inactive due to other
inactive_other_count_upper                         |  Upper bound number inactive due to other
inactive_other_percent                             |  Percentage of population where inactivity was due to other
inactive_other_percent_ci_plusminus                |  Confidence interval (95%) for the percentage inactive due to other
inactive_other_percent_lower                       |  Lower bound percent inactive due to other
inactive_other_percent_upper                       |  Upper bound percent inactive due to other
inactive_wants_a_job_count                         |  Number who were inactive and want a job
inactive_wants_a_job_count_ci_plusminus            |  Confidence interval (95%) for the number inactive and want a job
inactive_wants_a_job_count_lower                   |  Lower bound number inactive wants a job
inactive_wants_a_job_count_upper                   |  Upper bound number inactive wants a job
inactive_wants_a_job_lower                         |  Lower bound percent inactive wants a job
inactive_wants_a_job_percent                       |  Percentage of population who were inactive and want a job
inactive_wants_a_job_percent_ci_plusminus          |  Confidence interval (95%) for the percentage inactive and wants a job
inactive_wants_a_job_upper                         |  Upper bound percent inactive wants a job
neet_count                                         |  Number NEET
neet_count_ci_plusminus                            |  Confidence interval (95%) for the number of NEET
neet_count_lower                                   |  Lower bound number NEET
neet_count_upper                                   |  Upper bound number NEET
neet_percent                                       |  Percentage of population NEET
neet_percent_annual_change                         |  Annual change in NEET rate
neet_percent_annual_change_ci_plusminus            |  Confidence interval (95%) for the annual change in NEET rate
neet_percent_annual_change_lower                   |  Lower bound annual change in NEET rate
neet_percent_annual_change_upper                   |  Upper bound annual change in NEET rate
neet_percent_ci_plusminus                          |  Confidence interval (95%) for the percentage NEET
neet_percent_lower                                 |  Lower bound percent NEET
neet_percent_upper                                 |  Upper bound percent NEET
net_count                                          |  Number NET
net_count_ci_plusminus                             |  Confidence interval (95%) for the number NET
net_count_lower                                    |  Lower bound number NET
net_count_upper                                    |  Upper bound number NET
net_percent                                        |  Percentage of population NET
net_percent_annual_change                          |  Annual change in NET rate
net_percent_annual_change_ci_plusminus             |  Confidence interval (95%) for the annual change in NET rate
net_percent_annual_change_lower                    |  Lower bound annual change in NET rate
net_percent_annual_change_upper                    |  Upper bound annual change in NET rate
net_percent_ci_plusminus                           |  Confidence interval (95%) for the percentage NET
net_percent_lower                                  |  Lower bound percent NET
net_percent_upper                                  |  Upper bound percent NET
population_count                                   |  Population (ONS estimate)
quarter                                            |  Quarter - Filter by quarter of the year (Q4 used in analysis)
sample_size_count                                  |  Sample size
sex                                                |  Sex - Filter by sex

Footnotes:

1. LFS data has been reweighted from January 2019 onwards. There is a discontinuity in the timeseries at this point and comparisons to earlier data should be considered with caution.
2. All estimates should be viewed alongside associated 95% confidence intervals (https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/glossary#confidence-intervals) as shown in the underlying data.


NEET Primary Health Conditions Estimates from the APS

Filename: NEET_Primary_health_condition_estimates_from_the_APS_2025.csv
Geographic levels: National
Time period: 2012 to 2025
Content summary: Numbers and proportions of those aged 16 to 24 by health condition and NEET status from the Annual Population Survey (APS).

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name                    |  Variable description
-------------------------------  |  -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
health_condition                 |  Health condition - Filter by category of main health condition reported by respondent
percent_of_neet                  |  Percent of those NEET (in selected category)
population_count                 |  Number (in selected category)
population_count_ci_plusminus    |  Confidence interval (95%) for the number of 16 to 24 year olds
population_count_lower           |  Lower bound confidence interval (95%) for the number of 16 to 24 year olds
population_count_upper           |  Upper bound confidence interval (95%) for the number of 16 to 24 year olds
population_percent               |  Percent of population (in selected category)
population_percent_ci_plusminus  |  Confidence interval (95%) for the percentage of 16 to 24 year olds
population_percent_lower         |  Lower bound confidence interval (95%) for the percentage of 16 to 24 year olds
population_percent_upper         |  Upper bound confidence interval (95%) for the percentage of 16 to 24 year olds
sample_size_count                |  Number of 16 to 24 year olds surveyed
total_neet_net                   |  Activity status - Filter by NEET, NET or Total population estimates

Footnotes:

1. All estimates should be viewed alongside associated 95% confidence intervals (https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/glossary#confidence-intervals) as shown in the underlying data.
2. The overall NEET rate from the Annual Population Survey (APS) will differ from the NEET rate from the Labour Force Survey (LFS) due to the different time periods covered
3. The “Autism (including Autism Spectrum Condition, Asperger syndrome)” category was introduced to the APS in January 2020. Prior to 2020, respondents with Autism may or may not have reported this as 'Learning difficulties' depending on their interpretation of their health condition.


Other sources comparison

Filename: neet_and_net_other_sources_comparison.csv
Geographic levels: National
Time period: 2000 to 2025
Content summary: Summary NEET estimates from DfE NEET publications and also Office for National Statistic's quarterly “Young people not in education, employment or training (NEET)” release used to provide comparison between the different NEET measures.

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name               |  Variable description
--------------------------  |  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
age                         |  Age group - Filter by age group. Not all comparisons are possible with either age selection.
lfs_neet_percent            |  DfE LFS NEET
lfs_neet_percent_lower      |  DfE LFS NEET lower bound (95% confidence interval)
lfs_neet_percent_upper      |  DfE LFS NEET upper bound (95% confidence interval)
lfs_net_percent             |  DfE LFS NET
nccis_neet_nk_percent       |  NCCIS NEET/not known
ons_lfs_neet_percent        |  ONS LFS UK NEET seasonally adjusted
Participation_neet_percent  |  Participation release NEET
Participation_net_percent   |  Participation release NET
quarter                     |  Quarter of the year - Filter by quarter of the year. Not all comparisons are possible with all quarters.

Footnotes:

1. LFS data has been reweighted from January 2019 onwards. There is a discontinuity in the timeseries at this point and comparisons to earlier data should be considered with caution.
