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800 million young people face a future without jobs, UNDP warns as it launches two new initiatives

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About 800 million young people entering the job market in developing economies over the next 15 years will not find work unless countries act, UN Development Programme (UNDP) chief Alexander De Croo warned on 13 October. He spoke from Bangkok, where he is attending the World Bank-IMF Annual Meetings, as UNDP launched two new initiatives.

800 million young people: Young women in Damascus, Syria, learn practical skills to improve their job prospects
Young women in Damascus, Syria, learn practical skills to improve their job prospects Photo: © UNICEF/Khalil Ashawi via UN News (editorial use with credit).

1.2 billion graduates, 400 million jobs

De Croo said 1.2 billion young people will leave school and enter the labour market in the next 15 years, but jobs are projected for only 400 million of them. He said the gap comes from demographics, as the median age in many developing countries is between 18 and 25, and the projections assume today’s technology. ‘That is not going to go by itself. This is the result of policy,’ he said. UNDP’s own press release carried the same figures.

Key Facts

  • Young people entering jobs market: 1.2 billion in 15 years
  • Jobs projected: 400 million
  • Gap: 800 million
  • Interest bill: 9.5% of government income (median developing country)

“Job creation is actually the only real sustainable way for people to grow out of poverty.”

— Alexander De Croo, UNDP Administrator

800 million young people: the Jobs for Prosperity Facility

The Investment Accelerator will help governments improve investment rules, build pipelines of investment-ready projects and move them to implementation. The Jobs for Prosperity Facility will help countries find sectors with strong job potential, match skills to what employers need and remove barriers to hiring. Both are backed by the World Bank Group, the European Investment Bank and the EBRD, with pilot projects already under way in countries including Yemen, Haiti, Lebanon and Ghana.

A 'triple shock' for developing countries

De Croo said many developing countries face a triple shock: high energy costs, one of the strongest El Nino events since 1950 and very high borrowing costs. A new UNDP report, No Time to Recover, finds the median developing country now spends 9.5 per cent of government income on interest alone. On AI, he said sectors like care, farming and tourism will still create many jobs, and active labour policies can change the outlook.

Why It Matters: A huge jobless youth bulge can fuel poverty, migration and unrest, so how countries attract investment now will shape the next decade.

Also on TrendDesh: Multidimensional Poverty Index 2026: poor rise to 1.2 billion, first increase since 2010 · Global trade record: world trade hits $35 trillion in 2025, says UNCTAD

Source: UN News · UNDP

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