Youth Labour Market Participation in Africa: A Cross-National Analysis of Employment, Unemployment, Sectoral Distribution, and Educational Attainment Among the 15–35 Age Cohort, 2026

Background Africa hosts the world’s largest youth cohort, yet its labour markets remain characterised by structural imbalances, agricultural dependence, gender inequalities, and educational credential mismatches. This study provides a cross-national analysis of youth labour market participation across the 54 African Union member states in 2026, disaggregated by sex, age group, economic sector, and educational attainment. Methods A cross-sectional descriptive-correlational study was conducted using harmonised International Labour Organization (ILO) modelled estimates for youth aged 15–35 years. Youth unemployment (YUR), labour force participation (LFPR), and not-in-employment, education, or training (NEET) rates were analysed by country, sub-region, sex, age group, and education level. Pearson’s correlation assessed the association between YUR and NEET rate, while four nested ordinary least squares (OLS) models identified cross-country correlates of YUR. Results Among 545.1 million African youth, 57.1% were employed, 4.2% unemployed, 15.0% inactive, and 23.6% in education. The continental YUR was 6.91%, ranging from 0.4% in Niger to 37.4% in Eswatini, with higher unemployment in North Africa (11.09%) than sub-Saharan Africa (6.40%). The NEET rate reached 19.23%, agriculture accounted for 45.9% of youth employment, and female unemployment exceeded male unemployment (7.56% vs. 6.40%). Upper secondary and tertiary graduates represented 52.7% of unemployed youth. YUR was strongly correlated with the NEET rate (r = 0.720, p < 0.001). OLS models showed that agricultural employment share was the strongest negative correlate of YUR (β = −0.255, p < 0.001), whereas the share of educated unemployed was positively associated with YUR ( p = 0.043). Conclusions African youth labour markets exhibit substantial cross-country heterogeneity, persistent informality, and education–employment mismatches. Policies promoting structural transformation, skills alignment, gender equality, and social protection are needed. These findings highlight the limitations of unemployment rates alone as indicators of youth labour market performance.