Neet dimezzati in dieci anni, ma sono ancora 1,2 milioni: il costo sociale è di 24 miliardi

In Italy, a million and 200 thousand young people between the ages of 15 and 29 remain unemployed and uneducated, causing a social cost of 24 billion euros according to Eurofound. Despite a net improvement, 13.3 percent of young people aged 15-29 were in this condition in 2025, down from 25.7 percent in 2015 and 15.3 percent in 2024.

The research "The NEET Condition. Data, Causes and Policies of a Declining Phenomenon" was presented in Milan by Intesa Sanpaolo, Fondazione Cariplo, and Scuola di Giornalismo Walter Tobagi. Andrea Forghieri, Intesa Sanpaolo Executive Director for Social, emphasized that combating the NEET phenomenon requires addressing skills, helping young people regain confidence, and providing a future perspective.

Intesa Sanpaolo's "Young and Work" program has trained around 6,000 young people, with 80% achieving stable employment. The risk of joining the NEET ranks increases with age, as various personal, social, and economic factors make it harder to recover. Women face a higher NEET rate (14.9 percent in 2025) compared to men (11.8 percent), and the gap widens with age and family responsibilities.

Italy's experience differs from the European average, with high NEET rates in large cities (14.2 percent in 2025), rural areas (12.9 percent), and suburbs (12.8 percent). Family background plays a significant role, with lower family income, unemployed parents in the past, low parental education, and divorced parents increasing the risk.

Half of NEETs still living with their families have parents with no more than a high school degree, while only one in ten has at least one university-educated parent.